Paper Moon
by somewhat intriguing
Summary: "She chewed on her bottom lip. He wondered if they were as soft and smooth as the rest of her. He was in a trance, his body moved autonomously, as if it had done this a thousand times before. He wanted to know if she tasted as good as she smelled. Her body coaxed his forward. This sensation, this smell, this urge - he had experienced it before. If he could just remember." C9 NaLu
1. Iambic

_Note_: I had a lot of fun writing this. I hope you guys have just as much fun reading it. The title is subject to change. I'm sure you will realize eventually but I will let you know regardless.

Constructive criticism is always appreciated. I've been out of the writing scene for a while and I'm trying to get my sea legs back!

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><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter One_

_Iambic_

_March 30th, X794_

Lucy again awoke that morning, blindly pawing for the familiar warmth that was always there next to her. When her fingers brushed against something soft, she rolled over, smiling softly at the sight next to her.

"Luuuu-cy…" Big, round eyes opened up and looked at her, hopeful and sad. "I miss Natsu."

She smiled sadly. "Me too, Happy." She rubbed his head comfortingly. "I'm sure it won't be much longer now."

"Aye." The luster was long since gone from his small voice. Happy was nearly unrecognizable these days, the mirth that he commonly exuded replaced by a sadness that was not customary for the Exceed. It broke her heart to see him so forlorn and empty.

She sat up in the bed, mustering up the most genuine smile she could. "How about I buy you the biggest, freshest fish for breakfast?" She coaxed him gently, trying to ignite more life into her furry companion.

Happy barely reacted. "If you want."

Lucy frowned. That had been the sixth fish he turned down from her. She could not blame him. She was having just as hard a time as he was with this.

Two months.

It had been two months since the first time and the last time he kissed her. Even to this day, her lips still burned with his touch. It lasted only a moment but it felt like it had gone on for days and the sensation had lasted all this time. What she had been hoping for from her absent-minded partner for so long ended as quickly as it had begun. It was as if a wildfire had been set off inside her but now she was lingering in the smoldering ashes without a clue on where to go next, or even how to.

It did not take her long to come to the conclusion: Lucy Heartfilia was hopelessly lost.

She had always been so confident in herself, ready to give it her all even if she knew she could not keep up. She had always pulled through by sheer willpower and stubbornness – much like her knuckleheaded partner. But with Natsu not around, she felt a little more of that assurance dwindle away with each passing moment.

Her best friend was gone, just when she thought they were something more. And she did not know when, or if, he would be back.

She silently berated herself at that thought. Natsu had a knack for defying the odds and he would again, hopefully soon.

"Just let me know if you change your mind, Happy. I'm going to get ready." Lucy shifted off the bed.

"Aye."

She left Happy alone on the bed, unsure about leaving him but not wanting to press him too hard. He would have to come around eventually, whether on his own or by someone else's means. He knew where to find her if he got up.

The guildhall was not as lively as she was accustomed to, the spirits of its patrons significantly depleted from their absent companion. They had begun to return to their usual activities but their enthusiasm was not as bright. It was tough on everyone but they all still had lives to live, bills to pay, mouths to feed.

She found Gray sitting at the bar, hunched over and poking at his half-eaten food.

"Good morning." She greeted, taking the stool next to him.

"Mornin'." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "You going today?"

She nodded, accepting the coffee that Mirajane brought her. "I just wanted to stop by the guild to see how everyone was doing."

He snorted. "Not much better than you." He took a bite of his potatoes.

Lucy sighed dejectedly. It was true. She would not even attempt to deny it. "I know."

They were quiet for a while, finishing their food and drink.

She turned in her seat, fixing him with a firm but hopeful stare. "What about you?"

Gray read through her aloofness easily. "Maybe tomorrow."

"You've been saying that for two months. You should stop by." She placed a reassuring hand on his forearm, leaning into him. "You two are like brothers and you haven't stopped by once for him. You owe it to Natsu and to yourself. Don't beat yourself up. This wasn't your fault –" _it was mine_, "—so please, just once. Please, Gray."

His eyes were downcast, his bangs shielding the world from the emotions that stormed in them. He was depressed, they all were, but he was taking it hard. Finally, he sighed deeply and reluctantly, he said, "Okay."

Lucy smiled, releasing the grip she had on him. "Thank you." She hopped off the stool, heading for the guild exit with just a little more happiness in her than she had felt in a long time.

"Lu-chan!" Levy called, running up to her. She clutched her hand in her own. "You're heading out already?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I just wanted to come by here for a few minutes. Have you seen Erza by any chance?"

The solid script mage shook her head. "No, she's still out on her mission."

"Oh."

Erza had been taking missions back to back a lot lately, she would be gone for days or weeks and she would return to the hall, pick up another mission and head out again within an hour. This was her coping mechanism. It was starting to worry Lucy but she maintained silence on the issue. It would take time for all of them to heal and that nothing could be forced on anyone.

And so Lucy would do her best to keep herself together for the sake of everyone. Even though she was so broken inside and she would cry for hours on end when she was alone, even though she could barely eat or sleep or muster the energy to get out of bed, she had to stay strong. She had to make sure the rest of her family could make it through such a rough time. She needed to help them but not impose them. So every day, she would try what she could to lift their spirits, to lift them up without pressuring them.

Levy poked her shoulder. "You can go ahead, Lucy. We'll be fine here." The petite girl smiled and Lucy gave her a hug. Levy had been there to help hold her up on the days when she could not find the strength to herself and she would help her to look out for the rest of the guild when could not be there.

"Thank you, for everything." Lucy said, not relinquishing her hold.

"Go. I'm sure he's waiting for you." She whispered.

Lucy nodded and left the guild, heading straight for her destination.

She looked down at her guild mark, smiling as she remembered the first time she met Natsu. He was such a goof and he risked so much just to save her and invite her to join Fairy Tail. The memory brought her so much joy.

Tears started to well in her eyes as she thought about all the fun times she has had since she joined the guild, all her times with Natsu.

She walked through the doors of the large building, making her way to the front desk. "Good morning, Lucy-san. You can go on ahead."

"Thank you." She smiled as she quickly made her way to the elevator. Everyone was becoming so familiar to her. It irked a little bit to know that they knew her by her name, instead of "ma'am" or "miss." She sighed. _What do I expect? I've been here everyday for two months._

She made her way down the halls, knowing exactly where to go and the quickest paths to it. She smiled, greeting everyone as they did her.

Finally she made it to the room she was looking for and she pushed the door open. "Good morning, Natsu."

The only reply was the rhythmic sound of the heart monitor.

She took her seat next to the bed. "Gray is going to come by sometime today to see you. I hope he doesn't try to start a fight with you because he doesn't like the way you're breathing." She giggled lightly to herself. "To be honest, I half expect you start yelling for him to fight you the moment he walks in. Then we'd have to go on five missions just to pay for all damages." She smiled sadly. "Of course, you'd probably destroy the towns we go to so that wouldn't leave much for the money we'd owe here. Jeesh, I just can't win with you, can I, Natsu?"

The monitor maintained its beat.

"I still find it hilarious that the doctors were so worked up over your temperature when you first came in. They thought your 'fever' was going to kill you. They didn't expect someone with a resting body temperature of one-hundred-thirteen degrees Fahrenheit to be normal." A giggle escaped her lips as she recalled that incident. It had lightened the solemn mood they were in for a moment, if only slightly.

Still the hollow beep of monitor was his only response.

Lucy hated the quiet when she was around him. She had grown so used to the sound that the room felt practically silent, which was not normal when around the dragon slayer. It was unsettling.

He had been comatose for two months now. There was practically no change in his status from the day he first arrived to this moment.

Everyday the weight on her chest was heavier with the unfortunate news she continuously received: Natsu has not woken up. She finally stopped asking just over a week ago. She already knew the answer every time she came in.

She reached a tentative hand up to his forehead, brushing a loose strand of his salmon hair aside. "Happy really misses you. He turned down another fish today." She had her hands in her lap, absently wringing the hem of her skirt. "Everyone misses you. I miss you…" Her hand reached up to his, careful not to jar any of the equipment attached to his person.

"The guild has been so quiet lately. You'd think we were in the cathedral it's so quiet. You wouldn't believe it." She stroked her thumb over the back of his hand like she had so many times before, the action soothing her. This was what she was needed, his contact, his warmth.

"You're going to have to wake up sometime, you know. The guild really needs you. And if Happy keeps turning down fish, I think the world just might end." This was how their conversations went everyday. She would be charming and funny, she would be as natural as she could and they would have practically the same conversation everyday. She would say whatever and his heart would respond, offering a gentle poetry of steady cadence. Even if the only thing it told her was that we was still alive, she accepted it, albeit ruefully.

What she really wanted was to hear his voice, to hear his laugh and to be able to look into those wide, expressive eyes of his. She missed those eyes so much. No matter what he was thinking, his eyes always told her.

The tears returned, blurring her vision. "I really need you, Natsu." She choked out, lifting his hand to her chest and clutching it desperately. "I need you to wake up and open your eyes. It's been two months already, Natsu!" Her voice lowered as she calmed herself, tears still spilling from her eyes as her breathing evened out. "I can't do this without you. You need to come back to me."

She brought his hand up to her lips and placed a gentle kiss to it, hoping that life would suddenly spring out of him from the gesture.

There was a tiny pressure on her hand, so subtle that she nearly missed it entire. She looked at Natsu's hand wrapped up in her own.

He was holding her hand.

Lucy's heart began thudding erratically, completely opposite from Natsu's steady rhythm. She did not dare move or even breathe as she turned her eyes to his face, studying his every feature fervently. He had released the grip moments after she realized but she sat there, still, silent and breathless. She was not sure how long it was before she finally leaned in near his face.

"Natsu?" The word was nearly inaudible, tumbling hopefully off her lips.

She waited, never relinquishing the grip she had on his hand.

She tried again. "Natsu, can you hear me?"

And she waited.

The only response she got was one she was familiar with and it was the first time she had ever wished she had not heard it: his heart beat.

Dejected and disheartened, she leaned back into her seat. He still was not awake yet. Her hands covered her face, attempting to shield herself from the vision before her and to keep her tears at bay. But it was futile; the image of him was burned into her memory so vividly. He was never able to close her eyes without seeing him lying there motionless, unconscious and frail.

She could not recall the events of their mission clearly. Small bits of her memory would occasionally shatter any small amount of sleep she hoped for, quelling her natural desire for slumber and leaving her staring at the ceiling for hours in the stillness of the night.

There was a massive attack, aimed at her, but he protected her. He always protected her. He was terribly wounded and in those last moments, he kissed her. It was brief and simple. It ended as quickly as it happened and when his eyes fell shut, she was sure he was dead.

In two minutes, her world had crumbled.

Her memory was still spotty and she was told she might never get it back, she was not sure she wanted it back.  
>These days, the only thing she wanted back was Natsu. She wanted to be going on missions with him and getting into trouble. She wanted to yell at him for breaking into her apartment and stealing her bed and eating her food. She wanted to scold him for causing so much of a ruckus in the guild. She wanted for him to kiss her again.<p>

Everything felt like it was falling apart in her world because Natsu was what bound them all together.

She leaned onto the side of the bed, hiding her face in her crossed arms.

Muffled sobs and the even beeps of the surrounding machines, it was the sound she had come to be so accustomed to and a sound she was beginning to loathe as it continued to remind her that he was still not really there with her. Lucy finally lifted her head, looking at the young dragon slayer's peaceful face. She wiped some tears away and sighed. "Natsu…how did we end up here?"

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><p><em>Note: I've made some minor adjustments to chapters 1 - 8 - dates, typos and rewording (0415/2015)_


	2. Marionette

_Paper Moon_

_Chapter 2_

_Marionette_

_January 25__th__, X794_

"Natsu..." Lucy growled as she stared down at her bed, her eyebrows crinkled in frustration and teeth grinding in restraint. "How many times have I told you…" she grabbed the familiar scarf and yanked with all her strength, "stop sneaking into my bed!"

She grimaced at the half naked young man now sprawled out on her floor, still snoozing peacefully. This habit of his had grown progressively worse over the past few years. He would easily pry open her window, though sometimes she would intentionally leave it unlocked for him (surprisingly to his disapproval. He would reprimand her for it in the morning, saying it was "_dangerous_" and that "_weirdoes could come sneaking into her home_.") After breaking into her apartment, he was in the perfect position to crawl right into bed with her from the windowsill and drift off to sleep.

It drove her crazy for a long time. She would yell at him, telling him that it is perverted and a breach of the social norm for their status (though he never seemed to understand any of this.) There would be kicking and slapping and complaining, all on her part. And when she finally calmed down, he would fix her with that penetrating stare of his, the one that caused her stomach to knot and her bones to numb, and he would simply say "but we're best friends," like sleeping together was the most normal thing any set of friends could do. She once made the mistake of rhetorically asking if he snuck into Gray's bed ever and he nearly burned her apartment down in anger.

She never said it again.

Lucy just simply began to expect him to be there cuddled up against her every morning, usually causing her to profusely sweat because she had still yet to acclimate to his extraordinarily high body temperature. For a brief period about a year back, the yelling had stopped, the assaults came to an end and her exasperation was dissipated. Natsu, apparently picking up on the sudden drop in morning outbursts, began to show up more and more in the middle of the night.

And then one day, Lucy had been struck with a painful and embarrassing realization and she decided that this, whatever _this_ was, needed to stop immediately.

It had not been the act of his late night home invasion that bothered her. Rather what irked her was the fact that she was beginning to not mind it, borderline enjoying it and occasionally hoping for it.

Her mind had begun to tread into dangerous, unforgivable territory and she was in desperation of reigning it back in. If her suspicions were correct, then she was jeopardizing their friendship. Plus, Natsu was relatively emotionally underdeveloped. He was competent enough in friendship and family bonds but romantically? Even she was not sure how, or even if, he could maintain a healthy romantic relationship.

Lucy shook her head.

_Okay, Lucy…don't keep doing this to yourself…you're only going to make it worse. _She mentally chided.

She finally released his scarf and stalked off to the bathroom, leaving a snoring Natsu on her floor. She needed to get ready for the day and find a job – and soon. Her rent was due on the first of February and she barely had enough for groceries, especially with Natsu and Happy regularly helping themselves to her refrigerator. Their appetites were insatiable.

She was hoping she could find one or two she could do alone that would cover all her upcoming expenses. She weighed the options every time in her head. Either take a couple, easy lower paying jobs by herself and keep all the money. Or take one, more difficult higher paying job with Natsu and split half with him and another half taken out to help pay for the inevitable damages.

She sighed. Was she the only one in the guild with even a tiny sense of self-control?

After her shower, she stepped out of her bathroom to see Natsu had already disappeared. She checked the kitchen to make sure he was really gone. "Hm, strange…he left without even saying goodbye?" That was certainly un-Natsu-like.

She made herself a quick breakfast and headed out for the guild.

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><p>"Won't Lucy be wondering where we went?" Happy asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.<p>

Natsu straightened his jacket and replied, "Well, her rent is due soon, isn't it? We can help her find a job." He slammed a fist into his palm. "That way, when she gets to the guild she doesn't need to look through all the boring crap."

"Aye, sir!"

Arriving at the guild, Natsu immediately went up to the request board and began scanning all the papers, mumbling bits to himself as he skimmed through them.

"Let's see here…attractive girl wanted…"

"No, they won't want Lucy." Happy interjected.

"…Requires an intelligent mage…"

Happy shook his head. "No, that won't do."

"…In need of a mage with exceptional social skills…"

"I don't know, Natsu, Lucy is kind of weird."

"…Aha!" He snatched a paper that was slightly buried beneath the others. "Looking for strong mages who can capture a group of dangerous bandits!"

"Aye!" Happy put his paw in the air.

Natsu stuffed the parchment into his pocket, marching proudly away from the board. "Just wait until Lucy sees this job. It's going to go great!"

He ordered breakfast and waited for his partner to finally arrive. Where was she? He wanted to leave on this job as soon as possible.

Lucy entered the guild without paying much mind to who was there, consumed in thought. She was still upset that Natsu left without so much as a goodbye. For all she knew, he could be gone on a job for a month and the last time they saw each other for that time would have been her yelling at his prone, unconscious form.

She huffed, frustrated and insulted. "Why that rotten je—"

"Lucy!"

Before she was aware of who was yelling out to her, she had a flier in front of her face, startling her from her thoughts. She stumbled back, tripping and falling backwards. But before she hit the ground, a strong hand grabbed her wrist, pulling her up and two small ones were on her back, pushing her forward.

She collided into something hard, the momentum propelling her too quickly forward for her to stop. Her head spun from the sudden, jerking motions coupled with her clouded thoughts, fogged by her previous agitation.

"Lucy, are you okay?"

Natsu? Why did he sound so close?

She blinked, finally acknowledging the object in front of her.

He was so close. She could feel his body heat warming her comfortably as she stood there, dumbfounded and embarrassed.

"Luce?" He pressed again.

"Natsu…" She whispered, her cheeks suddenly burning hotter than any heat she had ever felt from him.

Then she realized that the hard _thing_ she actually crashed into was _Natsu_. She was pulled tightly against his chest. He clutched her as if he were to let her go she would suddenly disappear from the very place she stood.

"They _liiiiike_ each other." Happy snickered into his paws from behind the pair.

That voice. _Happy_. Happy was watched the entire scenario. They were right at the entrance of the guild. _Anyone_ could see them. If people found out that she was having these strange feelings, it would be the death of her – and more importantly, their friendship.

Then Lucy pushed away roughly as if burned by his presence. His eyes flashed to an unrecognizable emotion but before she could analyze it, it changed again. What was that look she just saw?

"S-sorry." She stammered awkwardly, a harsh red staining her pale skin. "I'm fine. You just surprised me is all." She smoothed out her shirt anxiously, doing all she could to not look at him.

Lucy was about to spin around to slap the blue cat for his previous remark but suddenly Natsu had the flier up to her again, holding it out for her to examine. "Here, I found this." She took the paper from him. "I thought we could go on it together! Like old times!"

His smile covered his whole face, genuine and ecstatic, as if she had already accepted to tagalong with him. And honestly, seeing that overjoyed look on his face, all because he could go on a mission with her, how could she refuse? The job was for two hundred thousand jewels…

Suddenly, the apprehension lifted and she smiled back, shaking her head at her unabashed conceding. "Okay, just don't destroy the town. I do have to pay rent soon."

"I promise!"

The two let Mirajane know that they had accepted the job and decided that they would leave the following morning.

After a few hours of enjoying time with their guild mates, Lucy pushed back from the table, finding Natsu lying under a pile of destroyed furniture with Gray laughing a few feet away.

"Gray, your clothes." She said to him simply.

He jumped and started collecting his missing articles.

"Come back here, ice prick!" Natsu yelled with a small flame puffing from his mouth, jumping out from under the rubble.

She waved her hand in front of his face before he stormed off. He looked at her, one eyebrow lifted in a silent question.

"Yes, Natsu, I'm going to head home. I'm going to get packed for our mission tomorrow. You and Happy should do the same soon as well."

He scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, you're right." He fell quiet for a moment. "Should I meet you at your house or at the train station?"

She shrugged, "Honestly, I'm half expecting you to already be there when I wake up in the morning anyway."

Lucy quickly shut her mouth. _Dammit, Lucy! Don't give him the idea that you like it when he's in bed with you._ The thought had raced passed her lips before she realized what she was saying, or even thinking. By the time she caught herself, it was already out there, now awkwardly hanging in the air between them.

Natsu was staring at her curiously, as if unsure of how to properly assess that one simple sentence – which had such a complex meaning frantically trying to hide beneath a barely opaque surface. She just held her breath, hoping he could not translate further into what she thoughtlessly said.

And then he smiled. "You're really weird, Luce."

She laughed nervously, waving awkwardly as she walked away. "I know, I'm a weirdo. Weird, weird, weird. That's me, Lucy the Weirdo – _oomph_!" She bumped into a table, hobbling away, slightly winded. "I'm just…going to go." And then she darted out of the guild without looking back.

Natsu silently watched the whole scene unfold, bewildered at Lucy's unexpected, peculiar behavior, or at least her "_more than usual weirdness_" as he had been appropriately calling it. These instances seemed to becoming more common he idly noted.

And then he heard it, the small, but oddly loud, voice. "You _liiiiike _her."

"Happy!" Natsu shouted angrily.

The following morning, Lucy headed to the train station alone, her single pack of luggage slung over her thin shoulders. Natsu and Happy had surprisingly not been there.

She huffed, irritated with her torn feelings. She put a hand to her forehead, grumbling nonsense to herself.

When she had noticed these strange sensations, she was aware that reversing their effects would not be a simple manner of telling herself "no." She was not sure just how or when these feelings began to solidify, becoming imperceptible while plainly apparent. She had strayed too far off the path a long time before she was more acutely aware of their true meaning.

The heated skin, the sweaty palms, the twisted stomach, the palpitations, shortness of breath. She initially thought she was coming down with some sort of illness. She was about ready to go to the doctor until she realized one crucial commonality with all those symptoms: Natsu. He was present, in body or thought, and she would suddenly be struck with these sensations.

It was not a common cold or the most recent strand of the flu, it was a much more severe affliction to be struck with, especially when your best friend was the main trigger – it was _a crush_.

Jeopardizing her friendship with Natsu was too risky so she would resist with every ounce of stubborn will she had in her. And she was overflowing with it.

Rounding the final corner to the train station, she saw Natsu and Happy waiting for her. His arms were crossed over his chest, a concentrated look sharpening the lines on his face.

"Lucy!" Happy shouted, flying over and hovering in front of her. Natsu realized she was there, smiling as he walked up to her.

"Good morning, Happy, Natsu."

"Ready to go?"

She nodded, eager to get on the road.

They entered the train car and found their seats.

"How far away is Astilbe anyway?" Natsu asked, already looking flushed.

"I think it's about five hours away by train and then it will be another couple hours by foot." She watched him carefully. "Are you already feeling sick?"

He nodded slowly, the mere thought of a five-hour train ride nauseating him further.

Suddenly, the low whistle announcing their departure rung in her ears and the train began to pitch forward as they headed for Astilbe. It was an instantaneous response to the movement of the large vehicle; Natsu turned a sickly green and lurched forward, groaning miserably as the motion sickness won the battle against his obstinacy.

It still fascinated her that someone as strong as Natsu could so easily be defeated by something as seemingly trivial as motion sickness.

She grimaced as a guttural hiccup sounded in the small space between them. "Please don't throw up on me."

The three were relatively quiet for the first hour of the ride, with the exception of Natsu's groans of displeasure and nausea. Lucy read a novel, Happy snacked on a fish next to her and Natsu whimpered helplessly from the bench he was sprawled across.

"Lu…cy…" Natsu moaned, clutching desperately to his consciousness. "Help…me…"

She rolled her eyes as she closed her book and gave him an incredulous look. Help him how? She was not Wendy; casting Troia was not on her list of magical capabilities. She was ill equipped to be of any aid to him in this situation.

Hesitantly, she set her book aside and stood up.

Happy looked up at her, ears perked and wonder scrunching his nose. "Lucy, what are you doing?"

Ignoring the blue cat, she nudged into the bench with the dragon slayer, gingerly moving his head into her lap. He groaned but it sounded less pained than they had in the previous hour.

She was stiff for a short while, tensed and awkward in the new position and unsure of what to do next. Her hands hovered above his body, tentative as to where they should go in this foreign position.

With a decisive huff, she rested a hand on his back and she allowed the other to tangle in his salmon locks. She began to draw small circles on his scalp, hoping the motion was soothing to him. It was seconds before he sighed, the noise being as close to content as his body would presently allow.

She paused as he shifted his head, turning his nose into her stomach and breathing deeply. "Lucy…" He muttered before falling asleep. She observed in mute fascination, amazed at the effect the simple massage had on him and then she smiled.

Lucy watched the scenery from her window as she continued her ministration while Natsu and Happy slept. She found herself growing more relaxed as she sat there with Natsu asleep on her lap. Their position became calming for her and she rested her head on wall, closing her eyes and quickly drifting off to sleep.

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><p><em>Note:<em> So, this chapter went a little different than originally planned but that's okay. I'm happy with the way it turned out. At first I wasn't planning on letting these little slips from Natsu, where he's starting to recognize these (presently) strange feelings but I think it will all match up when the time comes. I hope you're all good with the way Lucy is handling these (presently) pestering feelings. I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be back soon!


	3. Ivory

_Paper Moon_

_Chapter 3_

_Ivory_

_March 6__th__, X794_

Gray had never been known for his warmth. He was an ice wizard. The only thing _not_ cold about him was the blood pumping through his veins. Cold was simply his nature and he did not know, nor care to learn, another way to be. As such, he never could come to understand or express the typical sentiments of many of his guild mates – much unlike that flame brain. He was always so damn warm. It irked him to his very frigid core. He was not like that in any fathomable way.

As such it should not have come as a surprise when he reacted the way he had when the news about Natsu's condition finally arrived. In all fairness, he figured the hothead would wake up within the hour. He always did. Gray knew that in all actuality there was no way some blow to the head would keep that guy down, no matter how hard the hit. He had punched him in the head on numerous past occasions, some warranted, some not. And with that experience he could say for a fact that it was remarkably sturdy.

He wordlessly decided with that knowledge, gained from knowing Natsu for years, that he could brush off the doctor's words of "indefinite comatose state." This _supposed doctor_ could take his prognosis and shove it up his rear end for all he cared. Flame for Brains was not one to be knocked down so easily. He had no reason to fret, which only added to his typical aloofness.

One hour turned into two and two into a day and a day into a week. The days trickled on and before long, one slow, quiet month had passed. And much like Natsu, he had not changed from day one. He had still yet to worry about him, to allow himself to.

His routine had been normal. He would wake up, go to the guild, maybe take a job, come back, drink some beer and go home. It was his usual cycle and he was at peace with it. Lucy seemed to remind though of all the missed scuffles. They would just have to make up for that when Natsu inevitably burst through the front doors, rampaging about something nonsensical. The guy had way too much energy for his own good.

* * *

><p><em>April 4<em>_th__, X794_

Gray was not quite sure when the realization had hit him. He was in shock, denial – he was grieving. Another month had gone by and the doctor still maintained his verdict. Natsu showed no sign of improvement and none of waking up. And he had not gone to see him, in hopes that staying away will make this less real. It was not working.

No one could ignore the glaring absence inside the guild. It was quieter and the furniture seemed to last longer than it did before. The number of fights inside the hall had dropped significantly. The shine in his mates' eyes had dulled, even Gajeel's, even his own. He was an ice wizard and was accustomed to the cold, but even he could not deny the drop in temperature at the guild.

And it all stemmed from Natsu's prolonged absence.

Lucy had been trying to get him to go. She had been asking him everyday for two months and his response was always "tomorrow." The longer he could put it off, the better. Seeing him like that would be too uncomfortable for his liking and he could not bring himself to. He had not been able to for this long already.

So why he was in front of the hospital was far beyond his understanding. He was supposed to go to the guild after he woke up – he was a creature of habit and this was not part of his standard routine. His subconscious had led him here much to his lucidity's dismay. Turn around, that was the first thought in his head.

But it seemed his body had other plans as he began his trek up to entrance. The polite nurse was kind of enough to offer him brief directions to Natsu's room upon walking in. That he asked in the first place was purely coincidence. Since he was here, he figured he may as well just go on ahead.

He stood there with his hand on the doorknob, hesitant to make the final push, mentally and in corporeality.

Gray was unsure of himself. It was a rarity when he doubted his abilities and at this very moment, he was here, dumbfounded and nervous. Even scared. Was he really prepared for what was on the other side of this door? The doubt ate at him, gnashing away the small kernel of confidence that he had rallied before walking up here. It took him two months to make it here for the first time since bringing him in initially. He braced himself, steeling his mind against whatever is waiting for him on the other side of this door.

Minutes, maybe hours? He assumed it was probably less than a half-minute that he stood there though it felt like it lasted significantly longer. His throat was dry and he swallowed the little saliva that he could muster to moisten his strained throat. Had he been holding his breath?

The door opened with no resistance and he immediately saw the one thing he prayed he would never have to. Natsu's mess of pink hair was tangled against the pillow, greasy and dulled from lack of cleaning and nutrients. The bronze had left his skin from two months indoors. There were creases on his face and his eyes and cheeks had somewhat sunken, he supposed from weight loss caused by his main diet of an intravenous drip. His muscles had atrophied slightly from lack of use. He looked vulnerable, frail.

He could no longer refute it. Natsu was in a coma and he might never wake up.

Gray fell to his knees, looking at his helpless best friend. He looked like he was dying and for the first time, he feared that he might. It was too much for him, too much for him to take in at once.

He hunched forward, his shoulders trembling as his sobs were locked in his throat. He could not find air and the strangled cries were as desperate to escape as he was.

Everything that he had buried within him had been unearthed and he felt the weight crush everything inside him. There was so much and was overpowering with an unrelenting force.

Tears flooded his eyes, dripping down his nose onto his fisted hands below him. He needed to leave but his body was rooted to where it had collapsed, in too much shock to take flight. He felt as if he were trapped in a pool of tar and it were dragging him down deeper and deeper, suffocating him to a dangerous point.

He never heard the other person come in. He did not react to their sudden nearness. The arms just circled him, cradling him, cooing him. It was Lucy. He returned the embrace, desperately holding onto her in fear that something might happen to her next, unable to bear the simple notion of losing someone else again. He had already lost too many.

Her hands were stroking the back of his head as she rocked him slightly, shushing him like a mother would her own child as he sobbed into her neck.

"It's okay. It's okay to let it out." She whispered to him. "It's okay to let yourself feel pain."

* * *

><p><em>January 26<em>_th__, X794_

"Nat…su…I'm not…dragging you…any further…than…_this_." She released her hold on him and the dragon slayer fell to the dirt in a graceless heap. He groaned, scrambling up to his feet.

"But I don't feel good!" He complained, childishly rolling his head back.

"You feel fine. You're just being lazy now." She stated, irritated.

He glared at an innocent tree beside him, his arms crossed and lip pouting. So maybe he _was_ being a little lazy. He could not ignore that fact. But Lucy had been so close to him for the past five hours. There was a strange bundle in his stomach. It was heavy but not unpleasant. It had felt nice. And the closer she was, the nicer it felt. Now she did not want him close and he was upset. "Maybe you're being lazy." He grumbled to himself.

Lucy heard him. "Natsu, we're already behind schedule. I can't carry you all the way to Astilbe. It's a two-hour hike from the train station and we've been walking for fifteen minutes and we're hardly any closer than when we started. _You_ are walking." She fixed him with a commanding glare, silently daring him to challenge her.

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and then huffed, relaxing his body. "Fine, let's get moving." Adjusting his backpack, he smiled at Lucy. "By the way, where's Happy?"

She thought a moment. "He's down the path a little bit. He flew ahead while I was trying to carry you. I don't know what for though. We don't need to scout ahead when we're this far from the town."

They caught up to Happy in a few minutes who was sitting against a tree, eating a fish. When he saw the pair, he quickly finished and joined them, staying behind a few paces.

"What are you doing, Happy?" Lucy asked, half turned to the blue Exceed as they marched on.

"What do you mean?" He asked innocently.

She lifted a sculpted eyebrow at the cat and decided against pressing the issue. Happy had a tendency to act curiously and she should know better than to question it.

The short journey went without incident, the trio breaking for brief moments to rest and replenish lost energy. Lucy laid the foundation for a plan of attack, as well as some backups, though with their present lack of knowledge everything was subject to change. But this way they were not going in completely blind. She was always prepared, or at least tried to be.

They weaved their way up the mountain trail, finding it serene and beautiful as they looked out at the sprawling forest below. This was the final haul until they made it to town. The directions said once they made it up the mountain, they would immediately see their destination.

Upon reaching the top, the small team halted as they looked on. For being a town so near the highest peak of a mountain, it was surprisingly sprawling. It was no Magnolia but it could barely pass as a mere town. It was a small city, with a bustling marketplace, a spirited populace and a city center comparable in life to that of Magnolia's own, though dwarfing in size. It was beautifully crafted with stone buildings of all sizes, with intricate patterns of wood and thatch weaved throughout. And despite the cooler climate, there were bushels of bright, spring-like flowers decorating the cobblestone pathways, glimmering with minerals against the radiant sun. It was breathtaking.

"It's incredible." Lucy breathed, finally finding her lost voice.

Natsu had already bounded ahead of her, absorbing everything as he darted through the masses of people. Happy was not much farther behind him. She smiled, watching him talk to people at all the stands, his eyes bright with his mischievous and childlike nature.

Suddenly he was in front of her, his mouth and hands full of food. "Lucy, you owe that guy fifteen hundred jewel."

She hit him in the head in frustration, Natsu suddenly choking on the oversized bite he was chewing on. "That's coming out of your share of the reward."

The lump in his throat finally went down and he took in a hearty breath. "Okay." He whimpered from the ground.

Lucy asked the man for directions to the museum and, after Natsu finished his "snack," headed off with her two teammates to their main objective.

They stood in front of the museum, the back of it pushed up to the edge of the woods, the main divider being a labyrinth of a garden which gradually combined with the forest itself, as if it had always been a part of it.

The building was large and like the rest of the structures in the small city, was constructed from stone, but all the pieces were white and four large, pristine columns stood proud before the entrance, making the building more regal and majestic in appearance. They entered and the inside was just as immaculate as the out, rich and grand to anyone who looked on.

A woman standing in the foyer with a stack of papers in her hands greeted them. "Hello, welcome to the Astilbe Museum. My name is Fiona; I'm the assistant director here. Before entering, I will request that you make the payment of five hundred jewel per individual for your one day ticket at the front desk." She noticed Happy at their feet. "And I do apologize but we do not allow pets in this museum."

Happy jumped up. "I'm not a pet! I'm a Fairy Tail wizard!" He moved his backpack aside, showing the green emblem on his back. "See?"

Realization fell upon her and she rushed away from the desk without a word, darting into a room to her left. She emerged moments later, with a short, elderly man at her side. "I'm sincerely sorry for the confusion. I did not realize you were the wizards that we requested the help of. Do forgive me." She bowed her head slightly, her hands clasped before her.

Lucy waved her off. "It's okay, you didn't know."

The stout man cleared his throat. "You've already met Fiona. My name is Kimball Getty, the head director of this museum. Though we are remote, we bear one of the finest collections of artifacts in all of Fiore."

"I'm Lucy, and this Natsu and Happy." She said, gesturing to their respective person. She pulled a paper out of her backpack and held it out for Kimball. "Your request said you needed help with some bandits. Do you have any leads on them?"

His nod was halfhearted. "We can discuss this in my office. Please, follow me." The trio followed the short man to his quarters, Fiona staying behind. He walked to his desk chair, observing the small group across from him. "Forgive me if this seems rude but I was expecting…" a slight pause, "more of you – at least to manage something of this caliber."  
>Natsu laughed. "Don't worry, we're more than enough. Luce, Happy and I make a great team!" He smiled, his arm suddenly around her shoulder, pulling her in tight and making her blush. Happy jumped up, paw high and his catchphrase sounding throughout the small space.<p>

The man's anxiety lessened slightly at the mage's words. "Well, I have heard that you Fairy Tail wizards are an incredible bunch. I'm sure we're in capable hands. That was the reason why I sent the request to your guild after all. I apologize, I've just been a little on edge lately with all these break-ins."

Lucy freed herself from Natsu's arm. "It's understandable. But this guy," she thumbed in his direction, "it a lot stronger than he looks." He smiled proudly until the full the meaning of her sarcasm sunk in, a pout suddenly falling over his face. "If he can't handle it then I don't know who can."

Kimball's mood improved with their show of confidence and he laughed. "Ah, I'm certain you will be able to seize these criminals. I want nothing more than that!" His features became more serious but there was still a small smile tugging at his lips. These are the people he was truly looking for to help him with this plight. "Now as far as the information I have on these ruffians, I'm fearful that it is not much for you to go on. I am near positive on one truth, that they seek a very rare and very valuable item that will soon be displayed here. At least that was the intent."

"Has anything else been targeted?" Lucy asked.

His voice was low and grim as he replied, the severity of the situation sinking into the wizards. "No, it would seem not. Not one theft has occurred in the course of three break-ins over the past four months but I'm certain it is this object that they are seeking."

Natsu piped in. "What is it?"

The director shook his head. "I dread to even utter its name while here, for fear that they may be watching right now." He motioned for them to come closer, leaning over the desk. They did as silently requested. "You must go to Remy Indiana. He will answer the questions that you have."

Following Kimball's directions, the team found themselves a mile from the town in front of a small cottage in the woods.

"Maybe now we can actually get some real answers. What was the point of going to that guy anyway?" Natsu complained as they started up the walkway.

Lucy chided him lightly. "Don't be rude, Natsu. He's the head director of that museum. Of course the assignment would be through him; he runs the place." Natsu only frowned in response as Lucy knocked on the door.

Seconds later, the door opened revealing a tall, lanky man, well into old age with a long, white beard and a smooth dome, which Natsu swears gleamed in the sparse sunlight sneaking through the trees.

"Come in, come in. I had been expecting you at any time." He pushed the door open wide for them to enter.

"You were expecting us?" Happy asked as he padded in, observing the disheveled abode as the man they assumed was Remy began shuffling around to haphazardly organize what he could.

"Well—," he knocked over a cup of tea, "well, no." He put a towel over the spill, not particularly phased by the additional mess.

Natsu furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Lucy, who offered the same quizzical look. They shrugged before Lucy asked. "Are you Remy?"

"Indeed, indeed, I am. I'm Remy Indiana. Some call me an archaeologist, others eccentric, most old. Me? I just call me Remy." He answered quickly, his words running together, his mouth unable to keep up with his brain.

"We were told to come see you about the job." The fire mage offered, hoping to get somewhere with the peculiar man.  
>He spun around from piling dishes in a dirty bowl. "Oh, you were here about the job request?" They nodded. "Yes, yes. I was expecting you."<p>

A short silence. "…Right." Lucy did not find this man particularly reliable and was hesitant to put their first and most crucial tasks in the hands of this scatterbrain. "Kimball Getty had sent us to you saying you could give us some more information about these bandits and what exactly it is that they're after."

"Well, children, you came to right old man. I know exactly what these scoundrels are looking for." He dug around in a cabinet, knocking spices, fruits and rags out of it. Moments later, he emerged with a small bundle in hand. He began to unwrap the fabric from the object and revealed a golden case with strange markings across it. "This is what they seek." He opened the case and inside was a gate key. The body was made of ivory, with trimmings of gold around the collars and the bow. The bit was in the shape of three golden pillars and the bow fanned out with ivory wings.

The small artifact amazed Lucy. She had trouble forming words as she stared in awe at the object which emitted a soft, white glow. She had never seen a key so unique and so beautiful. She put her hand over her own set, feeling them react to its sudden appearance. "What…what is it?"

"It's a gate key." He said simply.

"I know that, but what does it open?"

"This key?" He closed the lid on the box. "This key holds the power to unlock the Gates of Elysium, a world fabled to be capable of granting infinite magical powers to wizards."

The small team was baffled, unable to wrap their heads around the idea. "How does it work?"

"I've not the slightest idea. I'm no mage." He glanced to Lucy's hip, spying the keys dangling in their protective case. "But you wield the power to open gate keys. So I imagine you would know how to."

"Well, I suppose. But you said it opens a gate to another world. I've only ever summoned spirits." She replied, confused as to how the relic would work were it to be activated.

Remy laughed. "It's the same thing of course!"

Happy interrupted. "I thought you said you didn't know how it works!"

"I don't. I'd never be able to activate a gate key. I have no magical prowess. I'm just an archaeologist named Remy." He said as he was working with a kettle, prepping four cups of tea.

"We know that." The three said in unison.

The old man brought them tea as he sat them down at the mismatched furniture. "Why do you believe they're after this?"

"When I had told my dear, old friend Kimball that I was in possession of this rare artifact, the break ins began not soon after that. There was no other word of new exhibits coming into our small town. This is by far the most rare and powerful object that I've ever encountered, no less a tiny museum near the peak of a mountain. It was the only logical explanation."

_What does this guy know about logic? He's borderline insane._ Lucy thought sarcastically. Perhaps he was knowledgeable in the art of history but he certainly was not any conventional scholar she had ever met in her life. In a single word, he was bizarre. "I suppose but that isn't much evidence to believe that's what they're after."

"Oh, and also this was found at the museum." He pulled a note out from one of the pockets of his robes.

Lucy took the note and Natsu leaned over her shoulder, his cheek barely touching her own. She felt warm and she was sure that it was not only because his inherently high body temperature. _Not the time or the place to be thinking about that._

She quickly skimmed over the short letter. "It just says they will keep coming back until they find what they're looking for."

"Yes, but don't you see!" He stood up suddenly, knocking his tea on to the floor. "It's the only thing that is supposed to be there but isn't!" He began rambling, reviewing the small amount of information that he had. Despite how little it was to go on, it was the best lead they had to move forward with.

With only a determined glance shared amongst the team of three mages, they wordlessly decided they would pursue this hypothesis, if it were a long shot of a theory presented by a likely senile old man.

* * *

><p><em>Note<em>: I hope everybody caught those five stages of grief from Gray…some were worked in more subtly than others. These emotional scenes are (regrettably) so fun to write. I hope you enjoy reading them!

Are you guys are okay with the semi-nonlinear time format? I personally really like it but if you don't like reading it, I apologize. It won't be for that much longer though, if things keep going as planned. So just bear with me!

I'll be around! I hope you will be too!


	4. Turpentine

Note: Hello friends! So here is chapter four, finally! I am so sorry for the wait. But rest assured! Chapter five and six both have a fair chunk completed already. I kept adjusting and readjusting and just moving things around for these next few chapters. I struggled to make an absolute decision but at last, I was satisfied. But again, I apologize for that.

Now you kiddies get to reading! Enjoy!

* * *

><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 4_

_Turpentine_

_January 26__th__, X794_

"Where should we start, Luce?" Natsu asked as they made their way back to the town's center. They just made the short hike back from Remy's cottage after he insisted they stay to finish their tea; though most of it ended up on the already filthy floor.

The sun was setting on the quaint town and the small stands skirting the edges of the plaza were already closing for the night, the peak of sales since passed. People still scattered the square, small groups and couples excited for dinner at the small eateries and cafés that dotted bustling district. Lucy enjoyed the energy that surrounded her, feeling at home in the tiny, unfamiliar community.

She turned her attention to her partner, offering her suggestion. "We can start at the museum tomorrow morning. It's starting to get late so we should find a room to stay in."

Natsu grimaced at her as he suddenly halted.

She half turned to him, perplexed. "What?"

"Without dinner?" The accusation was subtle but detectable. The silence was brief as his unyielding stare held her puzzled expression firm in its place.

And then she smiled. "Okay, fine. Sorry, I had almost forgotten."

His toothy grin reached his ears and he and Happy shared a high-five in muted excitement.

"Where should we eat then?" She asked, quickly looking at the surrounding buildings for an acceptable restaurant – preferably one with large portions and small prices. Ideally she would find a buffet for the three of them to eat at but she was not expecting to find such a financial luxury.

"How about there?" Suddenly Natsu pointed to a charming café, which astonished Lucy. It was small but it had a large patio for patrons who wanted to enjoy the crisp evening. She would definitely enjoy the place but it seemed too demure for Natsu's unruly personality. She was almost worried that they would be thrown out the moment Natsu began eating.

"Are you sure you want to eat there?" She hesitated in following him.

He paused, turning to her with another smile that blanketed his face. "Yeah! It smells really good. C'mon, it'll be my treat!"

Lucy blushed. If she did not know better, she would say this was an impromptu date. And from her haggard appearance she was, without an inkling of doubt, entirely unprepared for a date.

She was instantly acutely aware of and self-conscious about her outward presentation. They had walked for miles in the woods and trekked halfway up a mountain after spending a quarter of the day on a train. She was dirty and her hair was wind beaten and flat and she definitely smelled better at the beginning of this long day.

She subtly sniffed after angling her head slightly downwards towards her arm. Yeah, she definitely smelled a lot better before. And if she could smell it, Natsu could undeniably smell it. And if she did not already smell bad enough, her sudden sweating was not helping – for some reason she felt incredibly hot.

_I'm blushing…_ she realized. _But I'm…excited._

"Lucy, hurry it up!" Natsu and Happy were already in front of the restaurant, waving for her to join them.

She rushed up next to them, a smile on her face. "A table for three, please."

Lucy, Natsu and Happy enjoyed a calm dinner on the patio, unwinding as the taxing day caught up with them. Even Natsu had been atypically reserved, eating quietly across from her. There were these rare moments she was able to spend with him. She sighed contentedly as she watched him, her chin resting on her woven fingers.

Natsu was always so robust, full of life, vigor and passion. There did not seem to be any perceivable creature in the vastness of the universe that could ever quell that exuberance. He was always so alive – fiery. She smiled.

But then there was this fantastic phenomenon, its occurrence so singular, so arbitrary, so unpredictable. These moments where Natsu would just relax, where he could be passionate but demure, where he could be himself without being overwhelming. It was captivating.

She had asked Happy about it after the first couple of times she witnessed it, curious as to how often Natsu behaved like this.

"_Does he usually act like that when he doesn't have to be around anyone?"_

"_I've never seen him like that before a few weeks ago."_

"_What changed?"_

"_I don't know. But it only happens when you're around."_

She was the only person he would show this side of him to and that thought made her heart flutter. He made her feel special without ever trying, and she would never tell him. She was satisfied in just enjoying these moments with him, seldom they may be.

"What are you looking at, Lucy?"

Natsu's voice brought her back to their table. She flushed at being caught staring. "Nothing. I was just thinking. I guess I lost track of my thoughts."

He examined her, still chewing. Then he swallowed and grinned. Happy was giggling into his paws between the two. Lucy ignored him, waiting for Natsu to finish his meal, still daydreaming but trying not to be caught staring again.

Natsu had paid for their dinner to her surprise. She offered to pay her portion but he adamantly refused. After a brief argument, though little resistance on her part, she conceded. She never knew Natsu could be so desperate to spend money on her – who was she to deny him of that joy? Plus it was extra jewel in her pocket, which was always nice.

They found a hotel to stay in not far from where the café and rented a room.

"Natsu, I got two beds so stay in your own." She warned as she set her bag on the bed she claimed. "This is my bed. That," she pointed to the one next to it, "is yours."

Natsu twisted his pinky finger in his ear, uninterested and only partially listening. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say." Then he flopped face first onto Lucy's bed, ignoring the bag that bounced off the kempt bed.

Lucy put a hand to her forehead, irritated at her partner's complete disregard to her statement made seconds ago. "Do you even _listen_ to a single word I say?" Her answer was his loud snoring, which apparently roughly translated to "_not really_."

Happy spoke up next to her. "He does! I think he just chooses to ignore it."

"I think that's worse than if he just completely ignored me." She grumbled, mostly to herself.

"Aye, but he likes hearing you talk."

She looked at the blue cat, eyes widening and the heat creeping up her neck. "He likes…hearing me?" She gulped, growing more awkward with each passing millisecond of silence. She could not formulate a response. She could only repeat that simple sentence, running through her mind and past her lips.

"You're smiling." Happy grinned deliberately.

Her hands went up in defense, waving quickly in front of her as if it would distort the view Happy had of her ever-reddened face. "Who? Me? I'm not smiling at all." She grabbed her bag and rushed into the bathroom. "I have to get ready for bed." She called behind her as she slammed the door shut.

Natsu was jolted awake at the sudden noise, groggy but alert. "What's going on?" He asked as he yawned, his mind slowing back to sleep at the lack of threat. Happy was at the foot of his bed, snickering. "What's so funny?"

Happy looked up at the fire mage. "Lucy is weird."

"Yeah, I think we all know that." He rolled over on the bed to go back to sleep, weary from the long, full day. He grimaced into the pillow, sinking his face into the plush material. She was acting weirder than usual lately and it was beginning to worry him. Was she getting tired of him? He hoped that it was purely paranoia that was causing him to over-think her mannerisms. But just that little kernel of fear remained in his thoughts, that one day soon she would abandon the team that they had become.

He had never feared that he would lose Lucy until the past few months. It was not until she seemingly could not stand the proximity between them – she would stumble on her words, avoid eye contact, push him away were he too close. She even started turning and running away from him entirely.

He liked listening to her talk. He liked watching her be the weirdo she is. He liked spending time with her. He just liked to be close to her. But now the nearer he was, the further she would run.

And for the first time since they met, he was questioning if she would still be there by his side were he to look. He was frightened that she had finally begun to distance herself from him gradually so that it might be easier to part when that time finally came. He was trying to check himself, to make adjustments to how he acted and to notice what things he did that flustered her and what he did that she seemed to enjoy.

But try as he might the past few weeks, he kept finding that she was not as close to him as he always expected her to be and he starting to feel more lost than any time he could ever recall.

To put it simply: it made him sad.

* * *

><p><em>March 31<em>_st__, X794_

"Thank you so much for all your help, Ms. Scarlet." The elderly man praised. "You've done such a great service for this small town. I truly wish I had more to offer you for what you've done."

The armored mage was silent as the man continued to talk, quietly accepting the praise she had little interest in receiving. She had more things to do and she had no room for this. "Sir." The man quieted at her interruption, her voice firm, impatient and intimidating. "Forgive me, but I do have other appointments today so I must be going immediately."

The mayor blinked, astounded and daunted. "O-oh. Right. I do apologize. I will get you your reward and you can be off." She thanked him and after a few finalizations, she was on her way back to the guild.

Erza arrived in Magnolia the following day, wordlessly entering. She saw Lucy sitting by herself at a table in the far corner. She walked over to her and dropped a small bag of jewels in the middle of the table and began to walk away.

"You don't need to keep paying my rent for me." Lucy called after her but she ignored it and Lucy would eventually accept the money. The celestial mage had not been leaving for missions. She would spend her days by Natsu's side or in the guild, usually alone, sometimes trying to help others. But she had not been leaving for anything and if Erza could help it, she would make sure that Lucy did not have to worry about anything else, more than she already was.

Erza did not mind helping her and she would not accept a refusal from Lucy. She was stubborn but Erza could be more so. Lucy's levels of vivacity had severely dwindled in recent months so it was not difficult to have her forfeit.

She headed to the master's office to debrief him on her latest job. She was ready to leave when he stopped her. "Erza, wait."

"Master, I have more work to do."

"Enough!" He shouted furiously, startling her. Makarov was standing on the desk, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. His eyes were closed, brows furrowing with frustration and his teeth ground roughly with anger. "Enough…" he repeated, softer but still rigid. "You have been back to back on jobs these past two months. You've not given yourself a single break. You're exhausting yourself." He opened his eyes, locking with hers and commanding her absolute attention and acknowledgment. "You need to stop this."  
>"I've had plenty of time to recuperate while traveling." Erza defended. It was a completely desperate excuse, the base thinning quickly, unable to hold anything. He saw right through her.<p>

"That is enough, Erza." He threatened, his arms crossing firmly over his chest. "I don't want to hear any excuses. I've been letting this go on for far too long. I thought that you would come to terms with it yourself but you've still yet to do so." He fixed her with a stern glare, one that nipped at her bones. "If I have to be the one who brings you to your senses, then so be it."

She frowned, glaring back at him with all the obstinacy she could muster. "I don't have time for this." She said, her voice low and livid.

She had never defied her master like this until this moment.

"You sure as hell do." He snapped. "I contacted all the jobs you had organized for the next month and told them that you would not be able to fulfill their requests."

She reeled at the admission, bewildered. He cancelled all her jobs? She began to yell back. "Then who is going to—?"

"Your guild mates can handle it." He responded calmly. "You're being placed on an indefinite leave starting now."

She was furious. "That's not fair!"

"I don't care if you think it's fair or not." Makarov was composed as she yelled back at him, allowing her to release the frustrations that she could. "This is my guild and you will do as I say."

Erza was frustrated. She did not know what she should think at this point. He really took away all her jobs? Without telling her? And now he was _grounding_ her like she was some child?

"I need to go. I have things I have to do." She tried to leave again but then she stopped, her hand on the doorknob. Makarov was going to yell again until he saw her body quivering. She started sobbing quietly and she turned to him. "I just don't know what to do with myself! I'm so upset. It's just easier to distract myself than to try to face anything head on." Her hands were on her eyes as she started to sink slowly to the ground. "What am I supposed to do?" She pleaded, not really asking anyone just needing to say it out loud. She felt completely lost and helpless.

Makarov had finally gotten her to break down. It was all she needed to do, to release those anxieties and frustrations so she could move on and accept what happened.

"You shouldn't overwork yourself. You need to accept it, Erza. We all have to. It is something out of our control, but what is in our control is our ability to unite and to hope that Natsu will be okay." Makarov gently told her. "No one needs to suffer alone. We're all here for you, Erza."

She cried, feeling the tears on both her cheeks.

* * *

><p><em>Note: <em>So, this chapter was a little shorter and not particularly exciting. I hope you all still enjoyed it though. I apologize sincerely (again) for the wait. More to come and sooner too!


	5. Actinic

_Paper Moon_

_Chapter 5_

_Actinic_

_February 22__nd__, X794_

Happy had never been alone. His whole life he was always with Natsu. They were best friends, partners – brothers. The cabin felt empty but he still found himself suffocating between its walls. It did not take him long before he decided he could not stay there, not until Natsu was back.

He stayed in the guild for nearly two weeks, sleeping amongst the passed out members, doing all he could to connect to someone so he did not feel so alone anymore. But he was miserable and he was starting to believe no one could provide him with the same sense of acceptance that Natsu had for so many years.

However one night when he was asleep on one of the dining tables in the guild, he felt himself being scooped up, jarred awake by the sudden movements. He was being carried and he could already feel his happiness returning. He perked at that hope that it was Natsu, taking him back to their home so that life could return to how it once was and how it should always be.

But as his conscious perception righted, he realized it was not his oldest friend. He wanted to be angry, he wanted to be upset, he wanted to cry but he could not bring himself to. He could not deny the feeling he had at that very moment; the one he could only sense if he were with Natsu – he felt home.

The walk to Strawberry Street was a quiet one. Happy stayed huddled in her arms, refusing to give up what had just been restored, scared that if he let it go now he may never get it back again.

Lucy entered her apartment and laid him on her bed, placing his head gently against the pillow. She turned to gather her pajamas.

"You can stay here as long as you'd like." She walked to the bathroom. She turned her head, looking at him over her shoulder. "You don't need to be alone, Happy."

It was all that needed to be said between the two of them that night.

* * *

><p><em>March 24<em>_th__, X794_

Over the next month, he watched as Lucy sacrificed herself for the sake of everyone else, holding it together as much as she possibly could so that the rest of guild did not fall apart. She was the encourager, trying desperately to repair her friends' broken spirits.

"_Why are you pretending?_" He had asked her.

"_This is all because of me._"

She blamed herself for Natsu's current state. He knew that she did, probably everyone knew. Not one person in the guild ever accused Lucy and they never would. It was a tragic accident that left the entire guild scarred in its aftermath. Lucy was no exception.

She had been there. She was closest to Natsu. He was protecting her. She had been hit harder than anyone else.

Yet she worked so hard every day to ensure that all her comrades, her family, were okay above herself, trying to redeem herself for a fault that was never there. She would never attain what she was franticly reaching for.

It was still early afternoon when Happy arrived at the guild by himself. Life there had been gradually adjusting but it still did not feel as warm as it did before. He scanned the mess hall, searching for Lucy.

"Happy!" Lisanna waved as she walked up to him.

"Have you seen Lucy?"

She frowned, shaking her head. "No, I haven't. She actually hasn't been here all day. I don't know where she is. I'm sorry."

His gaze fell to his feet, ears drooping sadly. "Oh, okay." He looked up at her. "I'm worried."

Lisanna smiled softly, picking him up. "We all are. But I'm sure she will be okay. Lucy is strong. She's been doing so much for everyone here."

"That's just it. She's doing everything for everyone but nothing for herself."

She sighed. "Happy, Lucy just needs more time to cope. She's been through a lot lately. She's…traumatized. It can't be forced, it just takes time."

"I know. I just don't want anything to happen to her."

She hugged him close, smiling. "You and Natsu really care so much about her, don't you?" He nodded into her bosom. "They will both be okay with strong bonds like that." She stroked the fur on his head gently. "Don't worry too much, Happy. Just always be there for her."

After their conversation, Happy left the guild to try to find Lucy. She was not at the guild, she was not in the market, she had not been at home. She had not even gone to the hospital yet that day either.

He went to Natsu's room while he was there, hesitating as he always did at the door. "Hi Natsu. It's Happy." He padded up to the bed and hopped onto the chair next to the bed. "I can't find Lucy today. I'm surprised she's not here with you." He looked at the bags full of clear fluids hanging near the bed. "I hope that doesn't make you sad. I'm sure she'll be by here soon enough today. She sees you everyday." The shrill beeping filled his ears. He hated that sound. "I'm sorry that I haven't been here more. I don't like seeing you like this, Natsu."

He looked at his closest friend, barely able to recognize his typically bright, exuberant partner with the blanket of tubes and surgical needles. It was like he was buried in them.

"I miss you. I hope that we can all go on jobs again and laugh together soon. Please wake up soon. I will come back tomorrow to see you, I promise."

Happy flew through the city alone, crestfallen that he still had not found Lucy. The sun was beginning to set and he was getting worried that he still had not seen her. He was going to go back to her apartment and hope she was there already but he decided to take a detour. He had not been to the cabin for over a month now and he figured he should just look at the place. It was still his home after all.

He landed in front of the cabin and froze once he saw the front door open. He walked up tentatively, wondering who would possibly be there. "Hello?" He called from the door. "Who's here?" He heard a muffled sound from the back of the cabin. "I'm warning you! I-I'm an S-Class mage with the Fairy Tail guild!" He threatened, starting to get nervous. Natsu was always the brawn, Lucy the brain and Happy was just there for banter.

He was going to fly away to get help until he heard a sob from the cabin. "Crying?" He walked inside, following the sobbing. He saw bright blonde hair and he rushed over. "Lucy?" He yelled. "Lucy, are you okay?" She was huddled up in the corner, crying into her knees. "I was looking for you everywhere today." He put his paws on her arm, trying to coax her out of her trance. "Lucy?"

She looked up, her eyes were puffy and red and her whole face was flushed from an extended period of crying. His eyes burned with flooding tears at seeing how broken and helpless she looked. She was not the Lucy she had been pretending to be for so long now. She was their Lucy, the Lucy that was suffering more than anyone else in Fairy Tail. She had finally let go.

"It's okay, I'm here." Happy stroked her arm, soothing her.

Suddenly she unfolded herself and grabbed him, pulling him tight into her chest and nuzzling her face into his head as she cried. He hugged her, letting her silently know that he was there, that it was all going to be okay.

After a while, she calmed, still holding Happy close but loosening her grip. It was silent for some time.

"You two never did lock your door." She finally said.

Happy pulled back, smiling up at her tear stained face. "I think I'll take that fish now."

It was all they needed to say.

* * *

><p><em>February 3<em>_rd__, X794_

For eight days they had made Astilbe their provisional home. They were becoming recognizable to locals, they were blending, they were content. Their personal lives here was pleasant and, were they not a mission, it could easily be considered a quaint vacation, a home away from home.

But they were still mages and they were still on duty. As easy as it would be to relax and settle into the peaceful community, they were under contract and could not afford to waste time.

Their biggest issue? Finding which way to go from here.

They followed leads only to wind up on a whole new trail just to be brought to a dead end. They would backtrack and be right where they had started. There had been no threats, no attempts and no evidence. Thus far, the mission could be considered an utter failure.

Every piece that got them no further from the starting line, Lucy meticulously noted, wrapped up tight and stored neatly in her memory for reference as needed in the near, or far, future. She was calculating, capable of running information over in mind time and again to assess all feasible scenarios. She was looking for a pattern, any minute piece of information that was potentially overlooked. Forget being in the lead – they needed something to put them in the race.

Lucy tried to convince Remy to use the key as bait, a necessary tactical evil. He, obviously, refused, the paranoia in his words only entirely evident.

_"Bait?" _He would shout. _"Why…how would _you_ feel were _you_ to be used as bait!"_ She honestly could not count the number of times she had been. She had gotten used to it. But she surmised that argument had no ground to stand on with him. She gave up, leaving the small cottage with her last hope dashed.

"I wonder if they're almost here." Natsu said from across the table.

She looked at him, removed from her thoughts. "Honestly they should have been here early this morning. This area isn't exactly a huge tourist destination so trips to and from are few and far between. But I'm sure they'll show up any moment now." He crossed his arms, pouting. "What's wrong?" She asked, but she already knew.

"I don't see why we needed to send him to get help." He grumbled, clearly flustered.

"Because we've been here for over a week and we are no closer to figuring this out than from when we first started this job. We just need a new set of eyes to help us out. It's not the end of the world, Natsu." She chided like a mother to a petulant child. He sunk further into his seat, quiet and unhappy. "The longer we take on this, the more likely they are to completely get away and we'll have no hope in finding them. They'll be here any moment now so you may as well get used to it. It's for the best, Natsu."

"Yeah, but I wanted it to just be us." A light blush tinted his cheeks as he pressed his chin to his chest.

She hesitated, unsure of how to respond. Sometimes she thought his naïveté would be her downfall. "What do you mean?"

He relaxed, arms out at his sides. "I don't know. We just don't spend much time together anymore."

And there it was. She could not hold her blush back any longer and the red blanketed her face. This was not about the refusal of help. This was not about his ego and how completely _elephant _it could be. This was not about Gray most likely showing up and getting in his way. This was not about the great Erza coming to steal his thunder. This was about being able to spend time with her. _Alone_. Sort of.

"We're together practically all the time." Her statement was borderline questioning.

"Not _just_ us though." He stressed, clearly perplexed by his own feelings.

"Plus Happy."

He looked at her with an expression she was not wholly familiar with from the pinket. Tiny hills went rolling down her body as she tensed. He leaned towards her, closing half the distance between them, his gaze never breaking from hers. Finally, he said simply, "I miss you, Lucy." Hesitation. "I miss _us_."

She could not form a sentence, her mouth betraying her and leaving her speechless – a rare occurrence. She leaned in closer, her mind detached from her body as it mimicked his movements.

They were close. She could smell him, the soap from his morning shower, his shampoo, the meat he just devoured…all mixed with the crisp smell of smoke that he always emitted. It was completely Natsu.

She was moving closer, their short breath mingling. Her eyes closed as she moved, unable to hold back and unsure if she wanted to. The effect he had on her, it was pure, it was inexorable, it was chemical.

"I don't want you to find a new best friend." His voice was quiet but it was deafening to her, thrumming in her ears and immediately halting her as the world swirled around her.

"Best friend…" She whispered, her lips barely brushing his, mere fractions of a millimeter from fully connecting. She could feel his warmth, she was breathing in his air, she could almost taste him. They were so close. And yet at those simple words, it was as if a vast chasm stretched between them and the divide was greater than she ever recognized until this moment. And all she wanted to do was jump down into its abyss and never come back up. Friends. _Best_ friends. That was as close as she would ever get.

"Right…best friends." She lowered her head and fell back to her seat. "I'm not going anywhere."

Yes, it would certainly be her demise.

After their lunch, they decided to make the quick walk back to the museum to ask more questions, hopeful that a fresh day would provide more promising insight into the criminals' whereabouts. Anything for Lucy to get her mind off the recent memory of their lunch break. She felt completely humiliated by the whole thing. Anytime she looked at him, she found herself staring at his lips, thinking about how they almost touched. And if she could just stop thinking about how close their lips had been she was certain she could forget about it. Until then, she would not engage Natsu in conversation and would spare him only the briefest of passing glances. She was resolute in that.

"Hey, Luce."

She rubbed her forehead, anxious. _Don't look at him._

"Luce."

She closed her eyes. _Don't talk to him._

"Lucy." He grabbed her arm, stopping her.

_Don't do it_.

"Lucy!"

"What?" She shouted suddenly, shocking him.

"It's Remy."

He was waving at them from across the street. She waved back at him, embarrassed at her outburst. Perhaps ignoring him is not the best method at this moment.

"Oh, thank goodness I found you." He said, clearly breathless. "I've been searching all over for you."

The team glanced at each other. "What happened? Is everything okay?"

He waved them off. "Oh, quite, quite. I just had to let you know immediately." He pulled out a folded paper from his pocket. "I received this letter the other day."  
>"I don't think you know what immediately means." Natsu said, crossing his arms.<p>

Lucy nudged him and then took the note. She read it and looked at the archaeologist in shock. "You're only telling us this now?" She yelled. "You should have said something earlier!"

"Ah, but I told you the moment I remembered." He was so matter-of-fact about it.

She stared silently, recognizably baffled. "How do you forget about something like this?" He opened his mouth to respond. "Forget it, I don't want to know." She rubbed her temple, grumbling incoherently.

Natsu skimmed the letter and looked at the old man. "So you want us to go with you up to the peak of the mountain."

"Oh, goodness, no! It's far too dangerous!" He shuffled in his other pocket, pulling out a wadded up paper. He shoved it into Lucy's hand. "I want _you three_ to go to the mountain!"

She unfurled the paper, revealing a map with a red X on their destination, just a few miles from the town. "This is obviously a trap." Lucy stated, blank faced.

"But they're expecting me not you! So that will catch them off guard. They'll likely be unprepared for battle and you can take them! How much they underestimated me!"  
>"You're not doing anything." They said together.<p>

He spun, his back to them and hands fisted at his sides in pride. "It was my genius plan to send in three powerful wizards in my place though!" He looked over his shoulder quickly. "Where is that curious cat though?"

Natsu crossed his arms, pouting again. "Getting help for us." He mumbled angrily.

Remy nodded. "Understandable, understandable indeed." He shooed them. "But you mustn't dawdle! You don't know when the truth of their whereabouts expires!"

"Yes, especially since this letter is from three days ago." Lucy muttered as they turned back to their hotel room. "Let's hurry, Natsu. This is the best we have to go on, trap or not, and we don't have much time."

They geared themselves for battle, finally feeling a sense of purpose since first arriving here. Even if this was another dead end, especially faulted by one loony scientist, it was a fresh trail to follow and they were tackling it head on, if for no other reason besides frustration and impatience.

They followed the (wrinkled) map to the summit of the mountain. Lucy could still see Astilbe in the distance behind them but she grateful that if things were to get out of hand then the town should be left in tact in the end. Part of her sensed that danger was ahead but they were going in with low expectations and she had grown far too impatient to plan out accordingly. She was going in completely unprepared and headstrong, just like Natsu.

She looked at the pinket jogging just ahead of her. She could see the determination in his face and the excitement in his eyes. He was raring for this fight – he wanted to finish this job just as much as she did.

He spoke up. "I smell smoke. Someone is in that cave."

She needed to maintain a level head. This was not the time to let her mind drift off. She had a vacation for eight days, now they had work to do and she would be damned if they failed.

* * *

><p>"That flame brain asked for help? There's a shock." Gray grumbled.<p>

"Well, it was more Lucy said we needed it and he had to go along with it. He's not happy about it though." Happy answered, preoccupied with his lunch.

"Then we should leave immediately to provide them with the assistance they require." Erza pushed her chair back, already preparing to leave.

Happy waved his paw at her. "Just let me finish my fish first." He took a large bite. "Besides…those two could use some alone time. They _liiiiiike_ each other." He snickered into his lunch.

"Are they even on a real job?" Gray asked, skeptical.

Happy nodded. "But how nicely did it work out that they were deciding to come back to get help but I could volunteer myself to go and they stay behind together."

At sunset, the trio went to the train station to prepare to leave for Astilbe.

"Oh, dear. The train to Mount Otidea actually had an unscheduled maintenance check. I'm afraid the train won't be leaving until tomorrow morning. I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience."

"Is there any other way to get to Astilbe?" Erza asked, restless.

The woman shook her head. "I'm afraid that there's only the one train in that direction. Any other option you have would take you out of the way and it would likely take you just as long to get there. That's the trouble of being so isolated."

Happy spoke up. "I was just on that train this morning though. What happened?"

She sighed. "We've had trouble with that specific vehicle recently. The trail to Mount Otidea is an arduous one. Honestly it's a wonder it's been able to hang on this long. Our mechanics are doing all they can and they're expecting it to be out by tomorrow morning."

The trio nodded and stepped away from the ticket booth, their only resolution more than twelve hours away.

"What a time for something like this to happen." Erza stated.

"Aye…" Happy sighed.

Gray stuffed his hands in his pockets as he started walking back to the guild. "Well, it doesn't seem like there's much going on over there for them right now. I'm sure even that hothead can stay out of trouble when there's nothing going on."

* * *

><p><em>Note:<em> Oh, Lucy. Always the friend, never the girlfriend. She got friend-zoned hard by Natsu, though unwittingly.


	6. Suture

_Note:_ Back so soon? What ever could be wrong with me?

* * *

><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 6_

_Suture_

_February 3__rd__, X794_

This was a terrible idea. Lucy knew it was from the moment Remy showed up with that ridiculous letter. They should have never run in completely blind. They should have never gotten so lazy, so comfortable in Astilbe. They should have never come without anyone else's help. And she was beginning to believe to they should have never taken the job to begin with.

She had not taken the precautions she should have. She was well aware that Natsu was perfectly content going in entirely oblivious without a second thought. He was practically a monster. And she had seen plenty of monsters in her day. He was strong enough to charge in headstrong and unbridled. If he did not do that she would start to worry. But she needed to exercise much more caution in these situations. She was not virtually invincible like her block-headed partner.

They were being pushed back hard and she was growing tired. She did not have the stamina reserves that Natsu had. She was not sure how much longer she would be able to last like this. Her energy continuously waned, desperately trying to gain some ground in their favor. But the woman they were up against was relentless. And any footing gained was quick to be lost.

"Dammit…" Natsu growled as he was shoved back by a blast of magic, sliding quickly across the rough floor.

Lucy rushed to his side, helping him back up. "Natsu," she panted, "we need to retreat. We can't keep up like this." He glanced at her briefly, readying for another attack. "We haven't even made a scratch on her. I don't know how much longer I'll be able to hold on." She could not summon any more spirits; her limit had since been reached. She was a sitting duck, a burden at this point.

He lunged forward just to be thrown back again.

The woman laughed, a lilting hum that gave Lucy chills. "Trying to run away? Is this the quality of mage that the great Fairy Tail holds to such esteem?"

Lucy glared, stubborn at the woman's condescending remark. She did not suggest to turn back while they could simply because she was scared – admittedly though, she was terrified. But truly it was the most logical decision at this point. They still did not know where their back up was and even if they had arrived in the small town just south of them, there is not guarantee that they would find them in time. They could be blown to pieces by the woman's magic before help even arrived.

Retribution, she had called it. Whenever they attacked she would absorb the power and send it hurtling back at them full force – strong enough to send even Natsu flying across the cavern.

Natsu crashed into the ground near her.

"Natsu, please…we can't…" Whispered Lucy, looking at the woman across the cave, "we can't win like this."

Wiping the blood from his chin, he stood up again. "I ain't losing. Not like this. That bitch is going down." He enveloped himself in flames, lunging, fists beginning to crackle with electricity. "_Lightning Flame Dragon's Firing Hammer!_" The muscles in arms bulged, garnering strength as he brought his attack down with full force. Lucy braced for the impending reverberation but after a few seconds of silence, she opened her eyes.

The woman held her hand out, Natsu's fist in her palm. He was frozen, his flames and lightning since extinguished. Lucy was baffled; mouth agape as she stared at the two. "No…" She collapsed, falling on her rear.

Natsu was silent as he stared at their connected hands.

"My name is Esis, of Aeternus Zo. I shall not fall to you." A radiant crimson ring formed from their hands. She leaned forward and whispered. "But you will kneel before me." Suddenly fire and lightning burst from her palm and Natsu was sent soaring, colliding into the ceiling of the cave, falling with the crumbling rock.

"Natsu!" She yelled, trying to see him through the thick cloud of dust and debris. She clumsily rushed over to the pile, cautious of the continuously falling rock. "Natsu! Please, answer me!" She cried out, searching desperately through the dirt and stone. She coughed, trying to clear her lungs. She continued to call out to him, hoping for any sort of response. She never got one.

"Now it is your turn." Esis walked slowly over to her. Lucy sat motionless, her breath and body trembling. She did not have the energy to fight back anymore. She had exasperated all her magic. She was alone.

The woman stopped short of her and held her hand up. "Roi." Her voice echoed, commanding. "Come."

Lucy did not dare tear her eyes from Esis', but her ears alerted her to a heavy shuffling from deeper within the cave. She heard unintelligible grunts and gurgles. She chanced a glance away from the dark haired woman, curious as to who the newest arrival could be and why she did not call for him sooner.

When she could fully see Roi, she gasped. He was not man, at least not entirely. He was a monster, a strange humanoid with gray flesh and blue markings that ran over his body and face. His gait was almost gorilla-like and his diction was not much different. He crouched on the floor, looking at her with pupil-less eyes. She could not look away, terror creeping through every fiber of her person. She inched back but rubble blocked her.

The creature began to reach towards her and she shut her eyes, holding her breath. _This is it._ She thought. _Natsu, I'm sorry…_

She could fell the chill from Roi's proximity, anxiety permeating her every fiber from his mere presence, and she silently wished for it to be Natsu's comforting heat to be around her, his arms holding her close, protecting her. _Like he always does._

She could not stay silent any longer and as his fingers were millimeters from her cheek, she screamed out. "Natsu!" Her call reverberated through the cavern, a deafening, distressed cry for him to come back to her. She needed him.

A rumble shook the earth beneath them and a sudden burst of rock shot up from the ground behind the enemies. A guttural yell shook the cave and she could see the surprise on Roi and Esis' faces. Natsu brought his fists down hard on Esis and did not let up, giving her no chance to retaliate. She was nimble, quickly flipping behind Natsu but he was quicker, hitting again and this time landing. She went flying back and Roi began to shuffle away, fear at his partner being pushed back so unexpectedly.

"So, who is kneeling to who again?" Natsu quipped. Suddenly the creature hissed at him and he staggered, taken aback. "Where did that guy come from?"

"You did it!" She shouted happily, disregarding his question. She stood from the pile and started to jog towards him, her adrenaline fading.

She was halfway to him when a burst of fire came from Esis, again standing and fuming. "You _dare_ touch me, you filth?" She shouted. "I will be certain it does not happen again, Natsu of Fairy Tail."

He shrugged, nonchalant and smug. "Prove it." With a loud cry, she released fire at him but he absorbed it in time. "Thanks for the meal." Natsu smirked and readied for a new round of attacks.

Lucy watched, astounded at his resolve to keep fighting, to never give up no matter the odds stacked against them. He had always been that way. And she never ceases to be amazed by the strength in his will. "You're incredible." She breathed softly.

Though she assumed he would not hear it from the present circumstances, Natsu did. It caught him by surprise but it spurred him on further, bringing more strength in his attacks, more energy in his steps and more fluttering in his chest. He was not going to let her down. He heard her cry out for him, loud and clear. No matter what it cost him, no matter where he was, no matter what the circumstances, he would protect her always.

His ears suddenly picked up a low hum from behind him. It was not from Lucy but from that strange creature that seemingly posed no threat as far as he was concerned.

"Do it now, Roi! We need the girl!" Esis yelled over the dragon slayer.

Natsu's eyes widened as he spun quickly, detaching himself from his present battle. "Lucy, go! Get out of here!"

She watched in terror as Roi's markings began to glow an iridescent blue and he lifted his clawed hands at her. "What…what's happening to me?" Fear paralyzed her as a brilliant beam of white light flew towards her. She collapsed, completely helpless.

"Lucy!" Natsu called, sprinting towards her. He was close, just a little further.

"Natsu." She reached out to him, her voice so soft, barely able to speak. He could see her hand quivering, tears flooding her eyes.

There was no time. He was not going to make it. But she would.

He pushed Lucy and she tumbled away. She snapped out of her stupor with enough time to sit up and look at Natsu. She was motionless. The earth itself seemed to slow as she watched Natsu be engulfed by the light. She stretched her arm out to him but in a flash, he was launched again across the cave, with more force than he had been before.

She watched him fall back to the ground, the impact causing a devastating shake and a forming a crater around him.

Her breath caught in her throat. She was stunned. Slowly, shakily she turned her head towards Natsu, hoping to see him getting up and dusting himself off. "Na…tsu…" She squeaked, trying to stir him awake. "Natsu..."  
>He still did not acknowledge her.<p>

Her lip quivered as tears began to stream down her cheeks. He always protected her. He was always putting her first, sacrificing himself for her sake. She hated her own weakness. This happened because her inability to protect herself.

"Natsu!" She cried as her life and voice returned to her. She ran clumsily, stumbling over invisible obstacles. He is okay. He is always okay. Dropping to her knees next to him, she rolled him over, holding him. "Natsu, please. Open your eyes. Please!" She tried to coax him to no avail. "Please." Her voice cracked through her sobs.

"Grab the girl. Let's go."

Lucy vaguely heard them but she was not really listening. At this moment, it was only her and Natsu.

She felt something warm and sticky on her hand. She pulled it back from beneath his head and gasped. Her hand was coated in crimson liquid, his blood continuing to leak onto her legs. "No…" She buried her face into his chest.

"Luce…"

"Natsu?" She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. She smiled sadly at him, leaning closer. His eyes were glazed and half lidded.

Roi was getting closer to her.

"We'll get out of this. We always do." She said, teardrops staining his bruised cheeks.

He lifted his hand to the back of her head. Her heart was pounding in her chest as he brought her lips to his. She melted into the kiss, wide eyes closing. Her breath caught, it halting with the world around her. His kiss was pure and gentle. In that moment she forgot about everything around her and for the first time, she felt complete.

His hand slid to her cheek, lingering briefly before dropping to the ground. His lips separated from hers and his eyes slid shut. She could not feel his breath or detect his heartbeat. He felt cold. She felt heavy, her body refusing to function. She was suffocating with grief.

"Natsu!" Roi gripped her forearm and began to pull her away, releasing her from the brief catatonia. "No! Stop!" She thrashed with a newfound anger. Tears continuing to race down her flushed cheeks as she screamed and swore at him. He did this to Natsu. He took him away from her. "Let go of me!" She swung out at him, catching his face. He growled at her and she reared her arm back again and as she brought it towards him, he went flying back in a rush of cold air, releasing his hold on her.

She tumbled back from the sudden liberation of her arm and immediately crawled back to her partner, not even thinking twice about what just happened. She gathered him up in her arms, cradling him to her bosom as she sobbed into his hair.

The humanoid came shuffling back, snarling and hissing in fury. She curled tighter into Natsu's prone form, trying to protect him like he always did her.

"_Freeze Lancer!_" A rush of cold air whirled past her, knocking the creature back several meters.

Lucy opened her eyes, looking towards the source of the voice. "Guys!" She cried out in relief upon seeing the rest of her team. "You're here!"

Esis came to Roi's aid, preparing for another battle.

"Please, Natsu, he's…" _He's dead._

Gray, Erza and Happy all nodded in acknowledgment. "We'll retreat for now." Erza stated, seeing the state they were in. "Gray!"

"I'm on it." He slammed his palms onto the stone ground. "_Ice Rampart!_" Sleek ice shot up from the earth, creating a frozen barrier between the enemy mages.

The Fairy Tail mages were at Lucy and Natsu's side immediately, Gray lifting the dragon slayer over his shoulder. "Let's get out of here."

"I just want to go home." Lucy whispered as she stood up. Gravity suddenly weighed heavily on her and everything seemed to be growing darker, hazier. She wobbled on her first step and brought her hand up to support her aching head. Blood smeared on her forehead.

"Lucy?" Happy placed his paw on her shoulder. "Lucy, are you okay?"

She could still feel Natsu's blood on her. She looked at her shuddering hand. Her weakness killed Natsu. By her own fault he was dead. She felt sick, a wave of nausea washing over her. The room was spinning, dizziness disorienting her sense of direction. She stumbled, falling gracelessly on the dirty ground.

Her name was echoing in the distance. They were so close but they sounded so far away from her. She felt alone, vulnerable, scared. Was she dying? Was this what Natsu felt? Lucy wanted nothing more than to be close to him, to feel his warmth surround her, to make her feel wanted, complete and safe, to make her feel at home. Did Natsu feel alone without her like she did without him?

She closed her eyes, giving in to the unconsciousness that tugged at her exhausted mind.

* * *

><p><em>February 19<em>_th__, X794_

Natsu did not die that day. When Lucy came to, she was already in Magnolia Hospital. Gray was in her room and let her know about Natsu's present condition. Her heart swelled and she cried with joy. He was still alive.

It was short lived. The news had finally settled in her mind, her happiness fleeting. Natsu was comatose. And when he would wake up, no one could say or guarantee.

She was smothered with regret. If she had not froze, if Natsu did not save her, if she had tried harder, if she were stronger none of this would have happened. She knew that living her life in "what ifs" would only set her back. She fed off her innate perfectionism, utilizing what was one of her greatest strengths and most crippling weaknesses. She would put everyone above herself, like Natsu always did for her.

She spent two weeks waiting for official results from the doctor's but they struggled with their readings. She was there everyday, asking for more information and talking to the mage about everyone in their guild. Whatever could possibly help, she would try.

"What do you _mean_ his condition isn't medical?" Lucy was growing impatient at the complete incompetence this hospital had been exhibiting recently.

"In the past two weeks of testing and examinations, we simply have not found an absolute reason which science could explain this prolonged condition." The doctor explained cautiously the small group. "His head trauma did not leave him in this state as initially believed. Astonishingly, all his physical wounds are completely healed. We have proceeded with various cranial scans, but there is no swelling of the brain, no displacement, no growth – not a single mar. It's completely clean." He shifted, obviously baffled by the case. "In typical cases, the body would acknowledge its healthy state and the patient would simply wake up. But his body isn't getting the message. So it maintains an unconscious state."

Lucy looked at the Master. His eyes were closed as he absorbed the information.

The doctor continued. "I'm not an expert on magical related conditions. Perhaps it would be best for someone who specializes in such ailments to assist in Natsu's recuperation process. At the very least, they would be far more likely to determine what has left him in this condition. I'm sorry we couldn't do more for your friend."

Lucy looked at the floor, her jaw tight with frustration. It was the same thing everyday. They did not know anything.

"Lucy, Happy." Makarov called, quelling Lucy's muted seething. "Go to Porlyusica's. Explain this new information to her. Perhaps this will encourage her to examine Natsu herself. If you were okay with that, Doctor Wells."

The man smiled gently. "Of course. If we can't help Natsu, I have no qualms welcoming someone who can."

Happy and Lucy flew to the tree that the recluse called home. They knocked on the front door. Unsurprised and undeterred from her refusal to answer, Lucy knocked again.

"What do you want?" She yelled through the door, clearly agitated.

Lucy pleaded. "Please Porlyusica, we need your help."

"I already told you that I'm not needed there. The doctors can take care of your friend." She still spoke through the closed door. "Give it time. If he wakes up, he wakes up. If he doesn't, then so be it."

"The doctors can't help Natsu. They don't even know what's wrong with him still. They think that it's magically related but they can't do anything about it. Please help him, Porlyusica. You're the only one who can." She lowered herself to her hands and knees, her forehead firm against the cold ground. Happy followed Lucy's actions, desperate to save his best friend. "I'm begging you. Please save Natsu. He needs you. We all need you."

The heavy door creaked open, revealing the elderly woman, her usual frown carved in her face but her sharp eyes softened. "Stand up. If there's one thing I hate more than people, it's people who beg." Lucy lifted her head, her eyes glossy and a hopeful smile on her face. "Take me to your friend. I will see what I can do."

Tears streamed down Lucy's face as she jumped up to hug the guild doctor. Porlyusica stiffened and did not return the gesture but she allowed it. She cleared her throat, causing the blonde to release her and step back. "The longer we stay here, the longer it will be until I can look at your friend." Lucy became sheepish, apologizing copiously as they led her back to the city's hospital.

They avoided high traffic areas out of courtesy for the old woman, already having taken her miles from her comfort zone. Makarov stood in front of the door to Natsu's room, his arms crossed and eyes downcast.

The guild master looked at them. "Thank you for coming. It's truly appreciated by all of us."

"Take me to the boy." She said, terse as always. He expected nothing else. He led her inside the small room.

Porlyusica placed her hand to Natsu's forehead, her eyes closing in concentration. Every second felt like hours as Lucy waited with Happy and Makarov in the corner of the room. She observed the doctor, implementing as much of her patience as she possibly could. She was anxious. Her knee started to bounce.

A soft glow surrounded her palm and the unconscious mage's forehead. She held her breath, hoping that maybe this would be easy for the woman to fix. That she would handle this all right now and they could move on with their lives, together. She had seen Porlyusica's work first hand, she knew the miracles she was capable of creating.

After a period that felt like hours, she retracted her hand, the glow disappearing into the air. The three of them waited, watching the sleeping dragon slayer intently. His eyes never opened, his body never twitched and his heart did flutter. He maintained his coma.

She finally spoke. "I cannot heal him."

Never had such a simple sentence made no sense to Lucy. Her mind could not process the abrupt statement. "What…do you mean?" Lucy finally asked.

"I mean there's nothing I can do for him. That anyone can do for him. Only he can help himself." Lucy could not comprehend, her mind still tottering from her previous statement.

Makarov walked to Natsu's bedside. "But you know what's wrong with him." A statement.

She never made eye contact with him, with any of them. She continued to stare at the sleeping young man. "If my assumption is correct, then yes. I recognize this magic. Though I believed all users of it to be extinct." She looked at them, apologetic but stern. "I sense a dark magic inside him. It is stronger than his mind and his heart. His mind lives on in a dreamland. One he believes to be his reality. It's a spell that takes the desires of the heart and turns it into an unreality. The victims of this curse can live in this duplicity for the rest of their lives and never know it. This is the magic of the Djinn. And this is their most terrifying curse: Aionios."

"For how long?" Lucy asked, her voice quivering.

Porlyusica looked back at Natsu, regretful of the only answer she could give. "Until they die."

Lucy felt her heart stop and her breath caught. "No…" Her mind was crumbling. "That can't…be true…" Her eyes became unfocused, distant, as she imagined the rest of her life like this – without Natsu.

"Natsu…is going to die?" Happy had tears in his eyes. He curled into Lucy's bosom and cried. "I'm going to be alone. Natsu won't be with me."

Happy's words reached Lucy and she wrapped her arms around him. She did not know what to say, she had nothing to say to that. She was feeling the same way.

Makarov finally spoke up, trying his best to conceal his glassy eyes. "Is there," he cleared his throat, covering a sob, "anything that we can do?"

The doctoral mage was quiet, thinking. "I don't want to get your hopes up."

"Tell us!" Lucy shouted, devastated and angry. This was not fair, it was not right. It should be her in that hospital bed, clinging to life. Not Natsu. Her eyes were burning with tears and she tried to keep her face brave for his sake.

Porlyusica sighed. "If the victim's mind can recognize the falsehood of their feigned reality, they will wake." She held her hand up, halting reactions of any kind from the three. "According to legend. There are no recorded instances of an individual defeating Aionios. Humans are selfish. They take what they want and they keep it. Human nature is what makes this spell so powerful."  
>"Natsu isn't like other people." Lucy stated. She sat Happy on her chair and walked over to the unconscious slayer. She threaded her slender fingers through his salmon hair, a sad smile on her face. She felt lighter, more at ease as she looked at his sleeping face. "That's all the hope we need."<p> 


	7. Baldachin

_Note:_ I want to take this moment to thank everyone for their support of me – every follow, favorite and review makes me so happy. Thank you for always spurring me on!

As a little present to you all, I included a little _something-something_ special for you to enjoy! What can I say? I'm a people pleaser. (And Natsu is a Lucy pleaser. Rrrrrrrr.)

So, without further ado, let's continue on with it, shall we?

* * *

><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 7_

_Baldachin_

Lucy was perfect.

How he had been blind to her perfection for so long was something he would never be able to comprehend. Or rather he always knew she was but he never actually _realized _he knew or even _understood_ what it meant or _what_ to do with it.

Natsu's realization had taken years to be planted but once the seed sprouted it was in full bloom soon after.

He started to notice things he had not before. The way the sunlight reflected on her golden hair, how her eyes sparkled under the twinkling night stars, when she would yell and kick but despite herself still give him her brightest smile. She always made him feel warm, in an unfamiliar but enchanting way. And the closer he would let himself, the warmer he would get.

The only way he could ever describe her was perfection.

And so one day he decided to take it upon himself to kiss those perfect lips on that perfect face and hold tight onto that perfect body and savor her perfect taste. He was not certain how she would respond. He imagined some form of assault but the only thing she did was melt into him, pressing into him, conforming to his being.

He had never imagined it to feel so good. And in that moment, he realized it was all he ever wanted.

Natsu was aware of human intimacy and what the actions typically led to. He had learned relatively spotty and crude details from some of his male guild mates over the years, illustrating in uncomfortably explicit detail to the young dragon slayer.

Igneel had also taught him of mating. How dragons connect to one another and for the rest of their lives, they share a special bond. He always said a dragon's love was pure, though the younger him never quite understood what that meant. When further inquiring as to how he would know he found his mate, Igneel's response was vague in simply saying that he would know when the time came. Although in retrospect the answer was discretely direct.

Lucy made him feel what he had never before. And thus his mind was made; Lucy was his mate.

"Natsu, don't tell me you've already forgotten about our date tonight!" She yelled at him.

He opened his eyes, climbing down from the hammock. He scratched the back of his head. "Always so loud." He smiled as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her forehead. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

><p>"Warren, could you please try again?" Lucy begged the telepathy mage. She had been at this for twenty minutes, even buying him drinks to try to butter him up. Or at the very least loosen his reticence on the matter.<p>

He did not respond for several long seconds until finally he sighed with resignation, Lucy's pout too much for him withstand. He was not known for his unshakeable will and stone heart. Who could deny a beautiful, grieving woman with huge knockers anyway? "Fine." He took a swig from his draft. "Let me finish this first."

Lucy led the way, eager to get started. They settled into Natsu's hospital room. She stood next to his bed, brushing a dull, pink lock from his peaceful face. "Let's get started." She announced, turning from the sleeping slayer. "Try to link me in."

Warren walked up to her, his buzz having dissipated from the walk here. "As with the past four times we've tried this, I'm not making any promises that we can get through. Do you understand, Lucy?" She nodded and he readied his magic.

With his telepathic patch, she called out to Natsu in his mind. She never got a response and she never had. Warren had told her that he always hit a wall in Natsu's conscience, that there was a barrier that they could not pass. He still felt his presence. "Someone is home but they're not answering." That was how he described it.

It did not happen often and it was never incredibly loud or consistent but she swore that she could catch glimpses of his voice when they linked to him – she could hear him laughing or calling her name. Warren said he never heard anything from him. Whether it was her mind playing tricks on her or it was actually happening, she did not care. Just that semblance of him brought her peace.

After a half hour, Warren broke the connection. Lucy sighed as she looked at Natsu.

"Did you hear him today?"

She smiled, knowing he was just being considerate. "Yeah." She grabbed Natsu's hand, drawing circles with her thumb like she had done a million times before. "He said my name."

* * *

><p>"Lucy." He growled over her, trailing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. He was hot.<p>

She moaned, pressing into the palm that kneaded her naked breast. Tiny rivulets of sweat dripped down her, pleasure swirling through her body at his simple ministrations.

He tapped her thigh with his hardened member, eliciting an excited moan of his name from her. He nipped at her collarbone as a reward.

"Natsu…please…"

He smiled as he kissed his way to her piqued nipple, taking it into his mouth as he continued his massage on the other. She pressed him harder against her chest, wanting more of him. He suckled, puckering the sensitive skin all around the peak. He flicked his tongue over the nub, causing Lucy's breath to hitch at the sudden surge of pleasure. He rolled the other in between his thumb and forefinger. He switched breasts, offering each one the same treatment.

She was chanting his name, head rolling and back arching.

He could smell her, the sweet, molten nectar pooling between her thighs. He wanted to taste her.

Abandoning the treatment on her breasts, he pursued the intoxicating scent. It was maddening. And all he wanted to do was relinquish all his control to his instincts and just _fuck her_. But he wanted more than that for her. This was Lucy. _His_ Lucy. And he wanted to fuck her and please her and connect to her and love her.

He would not be satisfied until she was.

With all the restraint he had in him, he kissed down to her soaked panties. He inhaled, reveling in the smells flooding his senses. He could already taste her.

He traced his fingers over the thin, laced garment, teasing her swollen lips. She bucked, a pleasured yelp escaping her lips. "Natsu!" Her hands frantically reached for him, fingers tangling in his unruly locks and yanking him towards her center.

"Not yet." He whispered, pulling her panties from her legs, freeing her of the final obstacle. His fingers rubbed her center. She panted. He rubbed over the swollen nub and she screamed. "Hmmm, right here. Is that what you want?" He brushed over it again.

She moaned and nodded.

"Well?" He rubbed past her clit and she whimpered. "Is it?"

"Yes! Oh God, yes, Natsu!"

He pressed his lips to the glistening folds, tongue sweeping up her slit slowly and circling her clit. She was sweet and salty and he wanted more. He pushed harder with tongue, entering her shallowly. She cried out, hands back on his head and pulling him to her. His lips circled her clit, suckling and nibbling gently. He brought his fingers to her opening and pressed one in, the digit immersed to the knuckle. She screamed, her thighs tightening around his head. He entered a second finger.

She was tight. His cock throbbed and he groaned. It was becoming painful but he was not done with her yet.

He started to slowly pump his fingers in and out of her moist opening while sucking her clit relentlessly. She was starting to thrash as he sped up. She came, calling out his name, the juice that flowed from her center thickening and he ran his tongue up and down her again.

She was panting as he climbed up, his cock solid and unable to wait any longer. He looked at her, a silent request for her approval after the orgasm she just had. She pressed her hips up, his member connecting with her folds.

He growled and entered her, sheathing his entire cock in her velvety center. "Lucy…" He moaned, relishing in the feel of her tightness. She was practically choking him and it felt incredible. He leaned down and kissed her.

He started to thrust into her, pulling his cock out to the tip and then ramming back into her. He loved hearing her moan his name, letting him know that she was his, that he claimed her, that they were mates.

He started to pump faster and soon her hips began rolling with his, finding their rhythm. They were grunting and panting, moaning each other's names.

Sweat coated their bodies as the ramming became more erratic, more desperate for release. He could feel her walls tightening around him and he could feel his orgasm readying. Not until she came again.

He thrust harder, the sound of their skin slapping echoing with their moans. She was screaming his name like it was her mantra and he was growling and grunting at her like a savage beast. She squeezed him, her nails scratching down his back and she screamed out his name in one final cry. He kept pumping into her, his release nearing. "Lucy!" He yelled out, spilling into her as her tightened walls kept pulling him deeper, accepting his seed greedily.

He collapsed and she held him close. They were breathless and exhausted, their muscles aching from their intense lovemaking.

"I love you." He said, mouth nibbling at her ear.

"I love you too." She breathed out. "But you're really heavy."

He rolled over, grinning. "Sorry, you're just so comfortable to lay on." He poked her bare breast.

She hit him playfully and chastised him. "Stop that!"

He _hmph_ed and crossed his arms. "Not too long ago, you wanted me all over those."

She giggled as she curled into his side, his arm lacing around her and pulling her closer. "Goodnight, Luce."

She hummed lightly, elated and glowing from her recent ecstasy. "Goodnight."

* * *

><p>The next morning they went to the guild, hand in hand. They took a seat at one of the booths in the corner of the mess hall.<p>

Mira greeted them at their table, ready to take their order. "Good morning, you two! How was your date last night?"

"Incredible." Lucy breathed.

Mira gave them a knowing wink. "Oh, I bet it was." Natsu blushed and the barmaid giggled.

They ordered breakfast and ate quietly. Lucy was the first to speak. "I can't believe it's been three months already." He looked at her questioningly. "Since you first kissed me and asked me to be your girlfriend, you knucklehead!" She laughed.

"Has it really already been that long? Does time fly or what!"

She smiled with a nod. "Good thing you finally spoke up. I had been waiting for so long." There was a far off look in her eyes for a moment before they focused back on him. "Would you like to go star gazing tonight?"

This was part of the relationship agreement, he supposed. He had to do these boring things that required zero of his expertise in blowing things up. But that was also what was pleasant about them. When had he turned into such a sap? He guessed somewhere between now and three months ago.

"Sure! Sounds great!"  
>Gray abruptly flew out of nowhere, kicking the dragon slayer in the face and knocking him out of the booth.<p>

"What the hell was that for?" Natsu yelled from across the hall.

"For that smug look you had on your face, flame brain!"

"What's that even supposed to mean?" Natsu yelled as he stomped over to the ice mage.

He held his arms out. "You want to go?"

Natsu growled in rage, flames igniting from his fists. "Let's go, ice princess!" He drew his arm back and punched Gray square in the face, sending the mage flying back and knocking him out in one hit. Natsu huffed, steam puffing out of his nose. He turned to Lucy and held his hand out. "C'mon, Luce. Let's get out of here."

"I'm impressed. You took him out in one hit." She beamed, head tilting.

He shrugged, not thinking much of it.

They spent the day shopping, Natsu reluctantly but wanting to make Lucy happy. After filling the cabin with more food and more of Lucy's clothes and more decorative furnishings, they packed for a late night picnic.

They found a clearing on a high hill not far from Magnolia and laid a blanket out for them to sit on. They snacked and talked as the sun set lower and stars grew brighter.

Natsu wrapped his scarf around Lucy's neck and pulled her close, the temperature rapidly dropping.

They looked at the stars in silence for some time.

Natsu finally asked. "Which ones belong to your spirits?"

She sat at, looking at him. "Pardon?"

He motioned to her keys at her hip. "Your keys. Which stars are for your spirits?"

She hesitated, turning to look at the sky. "Uh, well…" She put her finger to her mouth, thinking.

"C'mon, Lucy." He sat up too. "I know I don't know these things but you should. You're so smart and your spirits are so important to you. Don't you know which constellations are which?"

She cleared her throat. "I think that's enough star gazing for one night, don't you? I guess it's kind of boring really." Her words were swift and anxious. She stood, starting to gather her things together.

He blinked at her, bewildered. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing, just drop it. Let's go."

He climbed to his feet and grabbed her wrist. "What's gotten into you all of a sudden?"

She jerked from his grip. "_Nothing_. Now let's _go_."

"Luce."

"We really should head back. Happy is probably wondering where we are."

"Lucy!"

She turned to him, face bright and eyes harsh.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I already said that nothing is wrong. So can we go now? These stars are boring."

He reeled. Lucy would never say that. Why was she so anxious suddenly? He could practically feel her heartbeat from where he was standing. Lucy knew where the constellations were. She had shown him before. He never remembered – there were so many different clusters and always so many stars in the sky. He would never be able to remember those things. So what was wrong with her? Why did _she_ not remember? And why the hell was she _so damn defensive_? He knew Lucy well and he knew that this was not how she would react.

He snatched her wrist again as she started to turn away and he brought her eyes back to meet his. "Natsu, let go." She tried to shake free but he tightened his grip. "Natsu, stop. You're hurting me."

"I know Lucy. I know how much she cares about, how much she loves her spirits. And I know how much she knows about, well…about a lot of stuff." He motioned upwards. "But especially about the stars. Lucy would never call them boring. In fact, she would probably kick me for forgetting, again, about the constellations." He did not waver; his gaze was harsh and unrelenting on her. "So who are you?"

"Natsu, what are you talking about?" She shrieked, trying to struggle free. "Stop it, will you! I'm Lucy! Stop being crazy!"

"_Who_ are you?" He shouted this time, causing her to shrink back in his hold.

She sobbed. "You're scaring me…"

"Lucy knows I would never hurt her." He let go of the rough hold he had on her wrist. "What have you done with her?" His voice was dangerous and threatening. "If you hurt her in any way, I swear, I will burn y—"

"You couldn't just let it go, could you?" The imposter stood up, dusting at her rear. "We could have stayed like this, you know. Peaceful, content…" She sighed, closing her eyes. "Life would have been perfect. You could have everything you ever wanted."

She pointed past him and he turned around. His eyes widened at the sight. A giant red dragon flew above him, fire searing the emptiness around him. "Dad…" Natsu whispered. "Dad!" He started to run to him but suddenly he disappeared. He halted and then whipped around. "What did you do? What did you do with my dad?" He shouted furiously.

"If you stay here, you can be reunited with him. You can live happily with Lucy. No one would ever hurt anyone in the guild. You could defeat Erza, Laxus. Gildarts too. Fairy Tail would be the strongest. _You_ would be the strongest." She laughed lightly. "Even the Rune Knights would leave you alone and you'd never have to pay for anything broken to be repaired. You could have everything. Life would be perfect."

"What are you talking about? What does any of that even mean?" Natsu was aggravated and his last lines of patience were quickly waning. "Who are you? What do you want?"

"I want what you want." She said simply.

Natsu had no words. He was confused and his head was spinning. What was going on?

Igneel appeared beside the impostor Lucy. "My son." His voice bellowed. "Every happiness in your life can be granted here. But only if you stay."

The fake Lucy walked up to him and kissed him. He did not return the action. He stood silent and dumbfounded. She pulled away. "Isn't this what you want?"

"I want Lucy."

"I am Lucy."

He shook his head. "No. You're not."

She smiled, her hand on his face. "I could be her for you."

Natsu shoved her. "But you're not her! You're not Lucy! You're not _my_ Lucy!"

She frowned, "this can be your life." She stretched her arm out, the guild appearing around them, Igneel again gone. "Perfection can be your life." Everyone surrounded them, sad smiles on all their faces. Who were these people? Where was his guild? Where was his Lucy? "Your deepest wishes can be your life." She whispered. "Everything can come right to you. It doesn't matter what it is. It's yours."

Natsu shook, hand moving to his head. "N-no…" He whispered. "No. I don't want this."

An imitator of Erza stepped forward. "You do. Everyone wants this."

He collapsed, clutching desperately to his head at the voices coaxing him to stay. "No! No, stay out of my head!"

"C'mon, flame brain. It's good here. Everyone is happy." It was Gray.

"We can be your new home. Don't you want that?" Wendy smiled at him.

A fake Happy flew towards him. "We can be happy and we can catch big fish everyday!"

Lucy stepped forward, kneeling before him. "See? Everyone here cares about you. Isn't that enough?" She pulled him to her chest, nuzzling her cheek to his head. "We will live peacefully here. Together."

"Together…with Lucy." He muttered, his mind racing. His whole body shook.

"That's right. With me." She said, humming to him as she rocked him lightly, trying to soothe him.

He pushed her away and jumped up. Flames surrounded his body, crackling with lightning. "No way am I staying here with you! You aren't my true comrades. I don't want to live in a world where they aren't!" He braced for his attack. "_Roar of the.._"

Lucy stood up frantically, eyes wide and lunging at him. "No! Don't do it!"

"_Lightning Flame Dragon_!"

"No!"

The attack let loose a massive shockwave, blowing everyone in the guild back. A crater formed beneath him, the attack directed to the ceiling above. He was not sure where he was but he sure as hell was not sticking around to find out.

He continued his roar, gaining more momentum with his desperation to escape.

"Stop! You'll break the wall!"

The fake Lucy only spurred him on. Every last ounce of magic he put into this attack and with a final burst of energy, the world shattered and he plummeted.

* * *

><p>Natsu coughed and sputtered, choking on whatever was obstructing his airway. The erratic beeping next to him was deafening to sensitive ears. His clogged nose was overwhelmed by the acidic stench of sterility. His vision tried to acclimate to the darkness the cloaked him but he was struggling to make out the shapes. He tried to sit up but the muscles in his body protested, defiantly exhausted and miserably rigid.<p>

Where was Lucy? Was she okay?

A light appeared to his left. He knew it was dim but the sudden illumination was blinding and he needed to scrunch his entire face to alleviate the sudden burn of his keen eyes.

"Mister Dragneel!"

An unfamiliar woman was at his side, shouting unfamiliar words that he had no interest in attempting to decipher. He felt tiny, prickling pulls across his skin, similar to when Happy would knead on his person in his sleep. He wanted to scratch at the itches they produced but he could not move.

There was four medical staff around him. He would grimace if his face could move properly with whatever _thing_ they had shoved down his throat.

Carefully, one of the nurses pulled the cannula out, slithering slowly up his throat and causing him to gag and groan in discomfort. They secured a mask around his face, granting him more precious oxygen that his lungs could not work adequately to receive.

Where was she? And _dammit_, why could he barely move?

He knew what he had been trying to say, what he had wanted to say. But the only thing that came out of his parched throat was an intelligible rasp of the sentence "Where's Lucy?"

"Mister Dragneel, please don't strain yourself. Your body needs time to readjust to activity."  
>Readjust? What was that even supposed to mean. Just earlier today he was wailing on that crazy lady with the weirdo magic. Or was it yesterday now? It was dark so he surmised it was night so it had to have been yesterday.<p>

"Son," the man caught his attention, "my name is Doctor Wells. I've been taking care of you while you were unconscious."

_Yeah, yeah. I've been out for a few hours. What's your point?_ Natsu stared, blank faced and unable to verbally respond. These people needed to hurry up. He needed to check on Lucy. Was she okay? Did she get hurt? He started to shuffle but the first nurse who came in his room stopped him with a palm on his shoulder.

"Your body is still very weak. You've been comatose for three months."

His eyes widened and he could not help it. His voice was gravelly and unfamiliar even to his ears as he semi-shouted the only word that he could presently think to use to sufficiently depict his utter bafflement. "_What_?"


	8. Ballast

_Note:_ Thanks again for all the support! You guys are the best!

* * *

><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 8_

_Ballast_

_May 10__th__, X794_

Three months was absurd.

Those people were out of their fucking minds. Three goddamned months.

Crazy ass doctors. Incapable of even reading a calendar; no way they were qualified to treat him or tell him what day, month or year it was for that matter.

Of course he would tell them to piss off and leave him the hell alone. Even though his voice was raspy and his present language unintelligible but they left quickly enough. He did not have time for the garbage they were spewing. And frankly he did not care.

Natsu ground his teeth in frustration. Aside from breathing, blinking and the occasional, depleting huff of defiance, this was about the most he could move his body.

And dammit, why the hell could he still barely move?

Just yesterday him and Lucy had been in Astilbe – relaxing, laughing, eating, investigating, fighting.

_Fighting_.

Wait. What happened?

His nose scrunched, grateful to find another way to move.

He struggled to remember, his memories hazy and chopped. He knew where they were, what they had been doing, but what exactly happened? He rolled his right shoulder, growing anxious. He wanted to move.

Pieces started to come together. They were in a cave at the top of the mountain, that woman with the crazy magic was holding them back, Lucy was trying to convince him to retreat. In retrospect, maybe he should have listened because he overworked himself. Then there was that ugly guy and he or it or _whatever_ tried to touch Lucy. And then there was that bright light and he was looking up at Lucy and…and…

How did they win again?

The door opened slowly, the nurse standing halfway in the room. "Excuse me, mister Dragneel? I-I'm sorry to disturb you but can I get you anything?"

He managed to roll his head to the side, wishing for more strength. "_Fire_." He growled.

After some refusals from the nurse and coaxing grunts on his part, she said she would see what she could do. She returned briefly to say that her boss agreed to a "small, containable fire" and scurried off again.

He was somewhat relieved for some time but when she finally arrived back in his room with a small matchbook, his outburst of rage was much like his pathetic pack of matches: small, containable and completely unwanted.

Of course he wanted to express his frustration and naturally he wanted to light a giant fire under whatever moron's ass that had suggested _this_ as a suitable source of fire but damn, even those sulfur infused twigs sounded tasty to him. When was the last time he ate? It had been at least twelve hours.

His dry mouth started to moisten, salivating from the potential snack.

Maybe sixteen.

His stomach growled desperately.

Definitely sixteen hours.

He watched as the match ignited against the rough sandpaper, the miniscule flame dancing in the air, taunting him. The nurse was about to flick her wrist to extinguish the fire that raced to her fingertips, unsure of what he wanted with it in particular, but before she had the chance, he inhaled the flame and she yelped in surprise.

"Y-you…ate it…" she muttered, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, why did you think," he swallowed, trying to moisten his scratchy throat, "I wanted it? I'm starving." He nodded his head towards her hand, signaling for another. She silently complied.

It did not take long for him to finish off the twelve matches but he was already feeling more vigor return to his exhausted body.

She threw all the burnt matches away and turned to him. "That's all I was able to get for you. I'm sorry but you will have to save your…meal for when you are discharged from this hospital."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, lady." And then she left.

All night he laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, bored and angry. By sunrise, he was trying to stand and by morning, he was holding himself up.

He was shaky, his energy focused on keeping his knees from buckling beneath him. "Damn." He mumbled, hands on the bed. A thin layer of sweat lined his forehead. He was frustrated. He felt pathetic. He could not do anything. All he wanted was to run out of this place and see Lucy, make sure she was okay. He missed her – enough to make him feel empty, incomplete.

He became absorbed in the scent of her that always saturated his person. It comforted him, brought him strength. If he was going to do anything then he was going to see her.

Natsu had become so fixated on standing on his own that he did not notice the increasing scent of honeysuckles nor did he hear the rhythmic clicking of running heels. He did though hear his name, such a quiet whisper that if he had been growling and cursing as he was earlier he would not have heard it. But he recognized the voice instantly and motivation ignited anew in him. He turned halfway to face her, keeping his hand firmly in place.

"Lucy." He smiled, his voice still hoarse but functioning.

"It's true." She breathed, heavy tears racing down her cheeks.

She sprinted the short distance to him and, out of habit, he relinquished his hold from the bed to catch her as he had so many times before. He found his strength.

She cried into his neck, arms hugging him tight, desperate. She muttered that same sentence over and over again. He buried his face in her hair, sighing in relief.

"You're awake." She sobbed. "You're finally awake."

"What are you talking about?" He whispered, not really paying attention to what he was saying. He was just enjoying her proximity, the coolness of skin against his burning flesh, the smell of her hair, the sound of her breathing.

She pulled away gently, her eyes red and puffy as she looked up at him. "Natsu," she swallowed, "you've been unconscious for three months."

He groaned. "They have you in on this too? C'mon, Luce, the jig is up. I know you're all just messing with me." Suddenly he started coughing, staggering back and leaning against the hospital bed, eyes closed and gasping for breath. He had overexerted his throat.

Lucy rushed to fill up a glass of water and he gratefully took it, drinking it promptly. She took the glass and refilled it, setting it on the table for when he would inevitably need it again. "Please be careful, Natsu." She spoke gently as her fingertips brushed over his limp bangs. "You're still very weak."

He opened his eyes, looking at her seriously. "This isn't funny." He rasped, inhaling deeply. "Stop it."

Anxiety was escalating inside him, becoming unbearable. Why was everyone acting like he was gone for so long? Lucy was acting like he just rolled off his deathbed. He had endured far worse than that Esis chick or Ugly Guy's attacks. He felt tired now, sure. But he figured after some more sleep and an _actual_ meal he would be good as new, on top of the world, ready to slay some dragons and what not.

So why did Lucy look so sad?

She was giving him that look. He hated that look. When she let down all her barriers, every wall she ever built just crumbled and she was exposing everything, pleading with him, _begging_ that he just listen to her and that he believe in her.

And he hated it because he hated when she looked so broken and so desperate.

The strength left his body and he collapsed to the floor, sitting upright against the side of the bed.

"Natsu!" She kneeled next to him, holding onto his arm and shoulder, steadying him.

He turned his head to her and looked up at her teary eyes, his own wide and unbelieving. "It's true." He said quietly, mimicking her earlier sentence.

A small nod, hesitant but resolute.

His breath was stuck in his throat. "How?"

She pursed her lips and looked away. "You were under a spell." She closed her eyes; tears trailing down her flushed cheeks and whispered. "I was starting to believe that you would never…" The words hushed on her lips, unable finish the thought. "I'm sorry." She finally said.

He looked at the floor, overwhelmed. "I can't…I can't believe it."

She crawled in front of him, straddling his lap and she leaned her forehead to his. She cupped his cheeks in her palms, breathing him in. "It's going to be okay. You're awake…you're _here_. It's over now."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and he cried into her shoulder. She hummed and stroked his hair and rocked him gently.

"Natsuuuuuu!" A small streak of blue and white came soaring into the room, startling the two apart. He whirled passed Lucy and thumped into Natsu's chest, winding him.

"Hey little buddy." He choked out, still breathless. He hugged the Exceed tightly, chuckling at him as his partner cried happily. Lucy rubbed the top of his head comfortingly, a tearful smile on her face at the two reuniting.

"I missed you so much, Natsu! Never leave me again!" The cat nuzzled into his chest.

Natsu smiled, his body growing more exhausted. "I won't." He whispered and released his hold on him, arms at his sides.

"Lucy took good care of me. Can she live with us now?"

Lucy blushed at his words but before she could reprimand him, she registered Natsu's silence. He was leaning back with his eyes closed, mouth open and taking in shallow breath. Sweat lined his forehead and he was quivering all over. "Natsu?" She called worriedly.

Happy climbed off his torso, standing at his side, paws on his stomach.

He cracked an eye open, a small smile tugging at his flushed face. "I'm okay. I'm just…really tired."

"You need to rest." She placed a hand on his fevered cheek. "We will be here when you wake up."

He nodded, submitting to her request with no defiance. They helped him back into his bed and he closed his eyes, immediately falling asleep.

"You _loooooove_ him." Happy murmured.

She did not acknowledge him. She continued to stare at her sleeping dragon slayer, the familiar warmth in her chest returning. It had been three long months since she had felt this way. She smiled. He was always proving the universe wrong.

She pulled a chair close to his bed and sat down, grabbing his hand in her own. Happy lay down on the bed next to him, feeling whole again.

The next time he woke up, they were right there with him.

* * *

><p>"Why can't I leave already? I'm fine!" He huffed indignantly, crossing his arms.<p>

"You've only been awake three days. We need to keep you under observation here for at least a week to ensure that there will be no regression and that you are in prime condition. And will you please stop making that face when I'm speaking?" Doctor Wells grumbled at the young mage's shenanigans. He had been getting progressively more annoying and his patience was rapidly thinning.

"I want to see my friends."

"And you will," he scribbled something onto his file, "when they come and visit."

"But you never let anyone come in here!" Natsu whined childishly.

"Maybe because they nearly destroyed the entire lobby charging in here to come and see you."

He grinned. That sounded like them.

"Don't look so proud about it." He mumbled something about thousands of jewels worth of damage that he was going to make sure they paid for but Natsu was not really listening. "They can visit. Just not anymore than two visitors at a time. This hospital cannot afford a building-wide reconstruction and this town cannot afford to lose their only hospital. And stop making that face!" The doctor sighed and left the room, his energy on this visit overdrawn.

Natsu relaxed into his bed. He still was not at one hundred percent but his recuperation process was moving at an exponential rate, or so he was told. As far as he was concerned, this was taking way too long. He sighed.

He had a lot of visitors the past few days, practically his whole guild. But he wanted nothing more than to just go home with all of them. The staff insisted that he stay and no matter how much he try to refuse, everyone around him also said he should too. He missed his freedom.

His nose perked up to a new, familiar scent.

The door opened to reveal Porlyusica. "Hello Natsu. I heard that you had awoken from your slumber."

He was hesitant at the recluse's sudden arrival, knowing all about her dislike for humankind. He nodded, fist in the flat of his other hand, "yeah, well, I won't let Ugly Guy or Scary Chick get away with what they did to me and Lucy. No way!"

She almost smiled. "It's quite a feat to achieve, waking up from Aionios. Especially in such a short period of time."

"Short?" He yelled, looking at her incredulously. "I was out cold for _three months_. What's _short_ about that?"

She closed her crimson eyes, irritated with the loud mage already. "Djinn are monsters with access to an unbelievable dark magic. And considering that is an ancient curse that sends victims into slumber for the rest of their lives, three months is a very brief period." She looked at him sternly. "How did you do it?" Despite her look, her tone had softened, if only slightly.

"Uh…" he wondered for sometime, scratching at his scruffy pink hair, "to be honest, I don't know. I remember being in Astilbe and the next thing I'm here. That's it."

Her eyes were downcast, reflecting on what she knew of the curse. "You don't remember anything in between?" He shook his head, growing uncomfortable. Was he supposed to know more? "When that spell takes hold of you, you supposedly begin to exist in a secondary life. It should parallel the one you know to some extent but your greatest wishes come true. You are saying you don't recall anything?"

He sunk back. "I don't."

She nodded, accepting his answer. "Very well." She turned to depart the room.

"But why do you want to know?" He called, halting her leave.

She turned to him. "I'm a doctor. This is research." She had her hand on the doorknob. "One of you will have to face him again. If it were to happen again, I want to know how I can save the one who falls next to that curse. But as of right now, I don't. You would be wise to pray that the next person share your fortitude else they share the same fate as all the victims before you." And she left the room.


	9. Periphery

_Note:_ I have gone through and adjusted the dates to include the days. I had been meaning to do it, since I sort of changed things from originally planned so it kind of started getting out of hand. ^^' But then I never got around to it and I kept adding chapters but wanted the format to be the same throughout. But then a guest reviewed and pointed it out and I'm just like, "maybe I really should take care of that now…" So I did! Thanks for kicking my butt in gear, anonymous reviewer! (And thanks for the review!)

Nothing in the story is changing though so no one _necessarily_ needs to go back – it all leads right back here.

Now, onward!

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><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 9_

_Periphery_

_May 14__th__, X794_

Natsu was starting to feel like his old self again. He was still too quick to tire for his liking but apparently he was recuperating fast enough that the doctor's allowed an early discharge. He also got the feeling though that Doctor Wells just wanted him gone – considering he said exactly that to one of the nurses when he thought he could not hear him. But that was fine because he just wanted to be out of there; anything to speed up his so desired freedom.

So after only four and a half days of consciousness, they practically threw him out of the hospital along with a profusely apologetic Lucy Heartfilia. They said he would need to be back for a checkup within a month but he would decide whether or not he would show up when the time came. He was already certain he would not bother because why waste his own time along with theirs? He would be in prime health well before then.

"Ah, it feels so good to be home!" He stretched his arms above his head and collapsed onto the bed, snuggling into the soft material.

"This is my home, Natsu." Lucy sighed, sitting on the bed next to the sprawled out dragon slayer. He felt her fingertips brush against his scalp and he tensed, goose bumps dotting his skin. It felt nice, like all those times he had motion sickness and she would let him lay his head on her lap, so long as he promised not to vomit on her.

He suddenly could feel how tired he was from the short walk over to her apartment. He melted into the bed, enjoying the sensation of her gentle touch. "Feels nice." He murmured. Lucy smiled down at him, pulling her hand away and moving to stand up but he grabbed her wrist. She turned to him, surprised. "Don't stop." He pleaded gently, eyes barely able to stay open, clearly exhausted.

She sat back down on the edge of the bed and continued her massage until he fell asleep. Lucy figured he could stay here as long as he wanted. He would try to show up here randomly no matter what. At least this way she did not need to worry about him passing out halfway here from his own house.

Each day Natsu was feeling that much better. He had been pampered down to his follicles by his guild mates and for some time it seemed like he just might have actually died and ascended into a great beyond of luxury and spoils. He surmised, if it could be managed, they all would have _breathed_ for him, done his _business_ and handled the rough stuff like being reprimanded for breaking this thing or that and bathing. He felt blessed beyond all rights and recognition and he was content living the rest of his life being fed grapes off the vine and fanned with cooling palm fronds.

At least that was how it seemed for the first few days.

He never really realized it until now but even Natsu Dragneel needed time to be alone. Now no matter where he went, there was always someone hot on his heels, practically _on top_ of him. It was maddening. And he swore if they did not leave him alone for even just five measly minutes, he would personally hunt down that Roi guy and get knocked out cold again. Only this time he promised he would stay that way.

For now he would avoid the guild and their constant prodding of his wellbeing. He was just dandy, a damn spring flower, so they could just leave him alone already.

"How come we aren't going to the guild?" Lucy asked, walking aimlessly along the streets with him.

Of course Lucy was the exception.

Even he realized he had been more attached to her lately. He was not complaining, he just liked that she was not running at the sight of him again. He liked when she was near – the closer the better. When everyone was pushing just to get to him though, they started shoving Lucy out of the way. And that was simply just not going to happen.

He sighed, combing his defiant locks back thoughtfully. "I need a break. They won't leave me alone…it's making me crazy."

"Oh." She looked away and he could see the sadness in her eyes. "I can go if you'd like."

"Well I want you to be around, weirdo." He smiled at her and she noticeably blushed. "It's just everyone else is not letting me do anything. They're acting like I'm completely helpless. It's nice to know that they missed me or whatever but I'm back now and I'm okay. I don't need them to treat me like a baby." He turned his gaze to the sky, pensive. "I just want everything to go back to normal already."

Suddenly his nose caught a familiar scent and he decided he did not want to risk it, not right now. He still did not want them to come running to him just yet. He had been there just last night. But he never showed up today so they were probably wondering where he was. Most likely a whole search team had been sent out for him and they were scavenging the city for him.

They needed to hide, at least he did. Everyone was driving him crazy with their constant interrogations of his health and energy levels and their refusals to let him do _anything_ by himself.

He was a grown ass man! He was fully capable of going to the restroom _alone_.

And if he had one more person try to feed him, he swore that he was going to burn them to a crisp and would hold no qualms in doing so.

He grabbed Lucy suddenly, a yelp tearing from her mouth and he quickly clamped a hand over it to silence her as he pulled her into an alleyway. He did not want to be caught. He was about ready to go insane because of how his friends were treating him.

She was trying to yell at him through his hand but he ignored her as he watched the road beyond the edge of the buildings, strategically poised beside a pile of boxes and trash. When Lucy clawed at his hand with her own did he finally release his cover of her mouth.

"What're you—?" He shushed her, eyes darting about. She began again, her voice soft. "What are you doing?"

"Hiding." He kept her back pressed tightly against his chest, his arms locked around her as he kept her still.

Even despite the revolting smell of garbage and stagnant water, he could enjoy her pleasant scent. How did she always smell so nice? And why was she so soft? Her skin was like silk, smooth under his rough fingertips and he feared that he would scratch the delicate surface if he were not gentle. It was so comfortable to him being pressed up against her and he started to forget what they were doing as he got lost in her.

He liked being close to Lucy. He always had. The closer in proximity they were, the more at ease he felt. There was a warmth that would develop right in the pit of his stomach, a strange swirling feeling that was pleasant and exciting. It was new but familiar all the same and he silently refused to relinquish his hold on her in fear that it would disappear and never come back.

Where had he felt this before?

"Natsu?" She whispered, the shakiness of her voice obvious as she pulled him away from his indulgence of her.

Her temperature was steadily rising as he held her back to his chest, he could practically hear her heart racing as he desperately latched on to her.

Natsu spun her around and looked into her eyes, holding her shoulders firmly. She was quick to blush and look away. He stared, taking in her pale skin tinged with pink, the golden tresses that framed her face, her dark eyes that shined so bright. He stopped on her lips, observing as she nervously chewed on her bottom lip.

He offhandedly wondered if they were as soft and smooth as the rest of her. They definitely looked like it.

He could not halt the urge and he slowly brought his hand up to her chin, allowing his thumb to trace on the edge of her bottom lip, hesitant to invade too much too suddenly. Her blush deepened and her eyes widened briefly before closing. Her breath hitched.

Why was this so familiar to him?

He was in a trance, his body acted autonomously, as if it had done this a thousand times before. He wanted to know if she tasted as good as she smelled because damn, she smelled so good right now. He could sense the subtle change in her aroma and his mind was clouding. He leaned in closer, his curiosity absorbing his mind. Her body coaxed his forward.

He knew he had done this before but he could not remember when. This sensation, this smell, this urge – he had experienced it before.

He was so close; if he could just remember.

"Oi, Salamander!"

He opened his eyes and pulled away, blushing furiously and avoiding eye contact. Lucy did the same.

"Lu-chan! What are you two doing in here?" Gajeel and Levy walked up to them.

"N-nothing!" They stammered simultaneously, making eye contact and immediately looking away.

The other pair exchanged a curious look.

"Well, you two shouldn't be hanging out in some dingy alley. It smells awful here," Levy admonished. "How about we go get some lunch together? Our treat!"

"Wasn't it just supposed to be us?" Gajeel frowned at the petite girl who returned the look with a gleeful smile.

"It'll be fun, Gajeel!"

He grumbled. "Fine, but I'm not paying for them."

"It's our treat. If you don't want to pay for them then I will." She said sternly, challenging him.

They were silent for a few seconds as they stared the other down but finally Gajeel looked away to the awkward pair across from them, his usual scowl on his face. "No way you're paying, Shrimp." And he turned to leave the alley.

Lucy grabbed Levy's hand and pulled her out of the alley, following the iron dragon slayer's trail. Natsu stood still as he watched them leave, Lucy whispering something unintelligible even to him in the other girl's ear. He ran a hand through his unruly hair and sighed. "What got in to me back there?" He muttered to himself before moving to catch up to the rest of them.

After their lunch, the two girls were quick to run off, tossing a quick "thank you" and "sorry" behind them. Natsu was dumbfounded as he stood there awkwardly with his fellow dragon slayer. She was acting like that again, like she did not want to be around him.

"What's going on with you and Bunny Girl?" Gajeel finally asked, terse and candid as usual.

He looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"Tch, don't tell me you're that big an idiot."

He remained silent, expectant. Why did people keep asking him things he did not understand? Could they at least try to elaborate on it? He waited for more details from Gajeel but they never came.

"You should figure it out soon or Bunny Girl ain't gonna' stick around much longer." He started to walk away from him. "You owe me for your portion. Pay me back whenever."

So he saw it too. How Lucy was nervous when he was too close, as if she could not stand him. He was scared that he was losing her but he hoped that it was all in his mind, since no one else said anything or even seemed to notice. He just assumed he was being paranoid. Because Lucy and him were best friends, right? She was never going to just turn tail and never come back to him.

But now as Gajeel's words ricocheted in his mind, he found his greatest fear being confirmed: he was losing her.

Natsu started to walk back home, where no one would pester him. He did not want to be around anybody else aside from Lucy. She did not want to be around him.

Natsu was completely crushed.

* * *

><p>"Lu-chan, are you serious?" Levy shouted, astonishment evident in her features.<p>

Lucy's head was down, hands cradling her forehead. "Please don't start yelling it. I really don't need everyone to know."

The blue haired girl nodded quickly, accepting the minor albeit colossal stipulation. How was she ever going to keep this to herself? "I mean, I was suspicious but you never said outright so I just kept it to myself. But to hear you actually _say it_…" Her sentence faded on her lips, her brows creasing in thought.

Lucy sunk further into herself. Of course people were suspicious. She was not exactly the subtlest when it came to most interactions with Natsu. She was practically screaming it to the world. Fortunately for her though, he was too much of a knucklehead to ever realize. Which was part of the reason why it would never work. If it were not a friendship exercise then he would never bother participating.

So then why on that day?

"Levy, there's more."

Her eyes were wide, astounded and inquisitive.

"That day in Astilbe, when Natsu got hurt," she swallowed anxiously, hesitating. She had never told anyone. And Natsu did not seem to remember himself. And she sure as hell was not going to remind him. "Natsu…kissed me."

The girl was ready to explode with her barely containable excitement. "He _kissed you_?" She yelled again and Lucy shushed her. Despite them being alone in her dorm room, she did not want to risk anyone hearing. It would destroy her.

Levy apologized, settling down.

"He doesn't remember. At least I don't think he does." Could he be just pretending like it never happened? Would he really do that? Was he even _capable_ of doing that? "It happened so fast and it wasn't much but…"

"But it happened. And you keep thinking about it."

Lucy nodded, feeling completely torn. She had no clue how to get her head and her heart out of this muddled chaos. She did not want to lose Natsu. She could stay being just his friend for forever. Right? "I don't know what to do. I'm so…confused. I don't know what to feel anymore. Natsu has been going about completely normal, like nothing ever happened." An image of them in the alleyway flashed through her mind. She blushed. "Except earlier today. Before you guys bumped into us."

"What happened?" She pushed, anxious to hear more.

"I'm not really sure. He was scared everyone in the guild was following him so he said we needed to hide and dragged me in there. Suddenly he was so close to me. He's done that before," _plenty of times and it makes me crazy_, "but this time was different. The look in his eyes was…it was…"

"Primal." Levy finished.

Lucy looked at her, pulled away from her thoughts by the simple word. That was the perfect word to describe it.

"I think," Levy tapped her finger, considering, "that there is something going on in Natsu that is very similar to you. However, Natsu is romantically inept. He most likely has no clue how to mentally process what he's feeling. He doesn't know what to think of it. He does, though, know how to act on his carnal nature. And in certain situations, he subconsciously knows to act on it. It's human nature."

Lucy's eyes widened as Levy broke away from her musings. Her gaze was unwavering as her final statement rolled off her tongue, her argument and understanding absolute.

"Lucy, Natsu does have feelings for you. He just doesn't realize it."

_Note_: So this chapter was more cornball but I hope you still found it enjoyable. I just wanted to play around with the romance aspect of the story for a bit. Since it _is_ a romantic drama!

I apologize for the delay in this chapter. Pardon my laziness and scatterbraininess.


	10. Scintillation

_Note_: We've hit ten chapters! It's pretty exciting for me…I hope it is for you too! Thanks for all the support everyone!

* * *

><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 10_

_Scintillation_

"What are you talking about?" Absurd. The notion was completely, entirely, utterly absurd. "Natsu doesn't…" She shook her head. "No, Levy. That's impossible."

The girl across from her hummed as she tapped her lips in thought, her face a worrying mix of contemplation and mischievousness. "Think what you want, Lu-chan. But it won't be long until you see it. And he will too."

The blonde stared, eyes wide with the realization. The thought invaded her mind, submitting every conscious thought to the notion and acquiescing her denial. Could Levy really be correct? And so what if she was? That did not mean it would ever be acted upon by either one of them.

Right?

She brought her fingers to her lips, the memory of their first kiss flashing across her mind and their almost-kiss just hours before. The only reason they stopped was because an outside interruption. At least that's why she did. She could not say the same for Natsu. What had gotten into him back there anyway?

Her mind flailed in the crushing rapids of her thoughts, being swept away by the sheer force.

Her body temperature skyrocketed with her sudden embarrassment. She could practically feel Levy's knowing eyes on her skin. She was feeling self-conscious and shied away from her. "It's not like Natsu even understands. He doesn't have a romantic bone in his body."

"Sounds to me like does and he wants it in you too." She winked at her and Lucy blanched at the double entendre.

"Levy!" She hissed, reprimanding the girl with her tone. She did not want to think about Natsu thinking about her that way.

She was rather aloof to romantic advances; sometimes knowingly, other times out of ignorance. The only things she knew about romance was what she read in stories and hers was not playing out like any of the passionate escapades she fantasized of. But Lucy had no experience with boys or relationships. She had never kissed a boy. Natsu had been her first crush.

Meet, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after.

That is how it always went, the proverbial storybook romance. That was how she envisioned her first and only love. It was never supposed to be complicated and it was never supposed to be Natsu.

Only within the past few years had she even learned of true friendship. But throwing love in the mix? One that she had for her best friend? And that he shared for her, maybe?

The butterflies in her stomach fluttered madly, forcing to acknowledge their presence that she had refuted for so long. In the distant boundaries of her mind she was aware of her feelings. They were glaringly obvious. That was why she pushed with all her might to keep them away. Because she wanted to forget.

But to hear that Natsu just might also share those very feelings underneath everything? It was all just so…so…

_Overwhelming._

She pressed her knees together, palming her hands at her knees as her head sunk between her shoulders, eyes averted. She whispered helplessly. "I don't know what I can even do."

With a smile Levy placed her hands on Lucy's bunched shoulders. "It will happen." Her resolve and determination (strange as her interest was in Lucy's love life) seeped into the spirit mage and her tensions loosened slightly.

"I just need some time to think about all this." It sure as hell was a lot to take in. She looked at the girl incredulously. "You'll keep this to yourself, right?"

Levy secured an imaginary lock on her lips with a smile. "Of course, Lu-chan." Lucy had not been gone for five minutes before she was racing out the door.

The petite girl scanned the mess hall quickly upon entering. There were a few certain people she wanted to see and two others that she did not. Satisfied that her relatively secret mission was not compromised, she bounded over to the smiling barmaid.

Mirajane greeted her happily. "Hello Levy. Can I get anything for you?"

"A partnership."

Her gentle features sharpened, a perceptive glint in her eyes. "What's the objective?"

Levy was keen to the fact that the barmaid had intel on every mage in this guild. The woman was nosy beyond all recognition. Anything that she could get her hands on she was grabbing it as if it were meant for her from the start. That knowledge was what made her dangerous and that knowledge was what made her the most valuable asset in this venture. If she could get no one else on her side, she knew at the very least she would have Mira.

Mira _loved_ matchmaking and the offer she was presenting was too irresistible. Besides, Levy was well aware that this was an operation she has attempted to conquer on her own periodically over the years. Of course she would be thrilled to form an allegiance.

"Natsu and Lucy."

Her eyes brightened. "That has been a consistent failure for a long time, Levy."

"There's been a new development." She leaned in close and explained the details she had obtained just fifteen minutes earlier.

* * *

><p>Lisanna walked through the forest that skirted the edge of Magnolia, a bag of hot food in her hand. Mirajane asked her deliver a meal to Natsu. He had not been in the guild much the past few days and she wanted to check up on him.<p>

She knocked on the door, waiting patiently for the occupant to answer. After a minute of silence, she knocked again. She was not about to leave. She was already aware that he was home. "Natsu, I know you're in there. Come to the door. I have some food for you – from Mira."

The appropriate coaxing, as in a matter of seconds the fire mage was opening the door, his nose twitching with his sniffing.

"Thanks." He said gruffly – and completely _un_-Natsu-like – as he reached for the swaddled bag of food.

She pulled away, a devious glint to her eyes. This was not a handout – they were bartering. And this sack of food was her absolute bargaining chip. "You can have this food. But I need you to tell me what's bothering you."

She did not come here expecting anything to be wrong. But when he did not come to the door instantly to greet her, when he did not smell the food and come running for it from a mile away, it was suspect. And when he finally opened the door she knew.

His arms were stiff at his sides, hesitant between keeping whatever he was inside or relinquishing it for his primal desire to eat.

Being Natsu, he exchanged it for food.

He invited her inside and sat down, greedily digging into his meal. Lisanna observed quietly, watching as he ate slightly more vicious than usual. She scanned her surroundings, noticing how astonishingly clean it was.

"It's cleaner than I remember it being." She said, smiling.

Natsu grimaced, his brows knitting. He swallowed his bite before saying, "Lucy has been straightening up for us for years."

The apparent look of surprise on her face was lost only to Natsu, who angrily chewing his food as if it were made of stone. "Natsu," she began softly, beginning to understand his foul mood, "did something happen between you and Lucy?"

"No. Why?"

She stared intently at him, dubious. "Because, at the mere thought of Lucy you got noticeably more upset." He twitched, tensing at her statement. He was terrible at hiding his emotions. Lisanna was a gentle person, nurturing by nature. And she had an especially soft spot for Natsu.

"I did not." He grumbled, not meeting her gaze. A blush burned across his cheeks. From his inability to hide his feelings, she surmised.

Natsu had always been a remarkably expressive person. He wore his heart on his sleeve for everyone to see. He had always been that way, from the day he walked into the lives of Fairy Tail.

His sincerity was his greatest trait and quite possibly his biggest weakness.

She could not restrain her smile any longer, recalling her memories of him and with him. "Remember all those years ago when I said we should be a family?"

He looked towards her with wide eyes, abandoning his meal.

"It all seemed so simple then. Like it was easy as one, two, three. We were so set on raising a baby dragon like it was our own child. Who knew a cat would hatch from that egg." She giggled. "We were so young." She could read his concentration easily, his mind considering every word she was saying. She knew all it would take was one tiny spark, one that would set his ablaze. "You've always been so transparent, Natsu. I could see everything about you back then; no matter how hard you tried to hide it and no matter if you couldn't see it yourself. Even now I still can." Her smile was soft and sad and looking at her oddly reminded Natsu of winter – forlorn yet full of so much bliss.

"Maybe back then a small part of you was okay with me being your wife. But as time passed and we grew up, we grew apart. Coming back from Edolas, I could see it. I was not the one for you."

He was motionless, processing everything. She did not need him to respond with words, she could still sense his feelings even after all this time.

She sighed deeply, the sound melodious and relieved. "Happy really is happy when all of you are together." Her eyes were bright and encouraging, spurring Natsu's thoughts into motion.

He brought his hand up to his forehead, wiping at the thin layer of perspiration. Why was he suddenly feeling so much warmer? His mind was running, searching for the answer in every corner and every crevice that it passed. He wound through the labyrinth. He knew it was there; it had always been there. It had just always been overlooked – by his doubts, his fears and his refusal to surrender what was comfortable.

He was standing alone in the darkness, his flames refusing to light the way. He looked around madly, unable to see anything, to sense anything. He was lost, afraid and unsure, just like he felt when Igneel left him.

His hands clutched his head, eyes closed as he collapsed to his knees. "_What is it?_" He whispered to himself. "_Why is this so hard?_" He hated the thought of being alone, of losing those closest to him. He needed to find the answer but he did not know where to go.

A bright glow captured his attention. He looked up, opening his eyes cautiously. "_What is this?_"

And there she was, smiling at him; reassuring him.

"Lucy." He whispered.

He stood up and ran out the door without hesitation, without looking back.

Lisanna smiled. "It only takes one spark." She stood up and started to pick up the mess he left. "It's about time, isn't it?"

* * *

><p><em>Note<em>: Lisanna, just being the ultimate bro (sis?) this chapter.

I would like to formally apologize for the super long wait on this. I have been busy and, quite frankly, kind of lazy on the free time I do have. I had more than half of this chapter written, just waiting so patiently on my laptop to be finished, basically three days after I posted chapter 9. Gosh, I'm so lame. Thank you everyone for putting up with my lameness. You guys are seriously the best.

And I'm sorry for the relatively short chapter here. I had a few more things that I wanted to put in but I took them out because I realized I'd just be repeating stuff said earlier on. It just wouldn't have fit once I started reading through it again. Blah.


	11. Nacre

_Note_: Thanks for all the support everyone!

* * *

><p><em>Paper Moon<em>

_Chapter 11_

_Nacre_

Lucy did not have much on her mind as she sunk into the warm bath. She kept twisting Levy's words over in her mind, as if rewording it every which way would suddenly change its meaning.

"_Natsu likes you. He just doesn't realize it._"

Of course he did not. He does not really seem to know much of anything, the idiot. But as she continued to tell herself exactly that, she found herself less convinced.

Maybe he never said anything with his words but surely his actions told her exactly what she pretended to never hear. Or was she reading too far into it and it was just Natsu being Natsu?

She dunked her head, trying to cleanse her addled mind. She lingered beneath the surface in an attempt to drown out the racing thoughts in her head.

The warm water washed away some of the stress. She inhaled deeply, taking in the honeysuckle lavender scent of her bubble bath. The dull ache in her muscles lessened as the network of threads in her mind all converged, creating a singular line of thought she could slowly travel along.

She was only trying to convince herself that she did not feel that way about him and that he about her. What scared her so much about that prospect? What would happen if they moved forward? What if things did not turn out like she imagined? If they started out strong and then fizzled out and eventually drifted apart completely?

They could lose their friendship.

Was any of this truly worth losing her best friend over?

She was not even positive what he was really thinking about all this or about _her_. Chances were he was not ensnared in some tremendous internal struggle about falling his best friend. Provided the opportunity, she would put money on it.

Sure, Levy had earlier made the observation that he did have deeper feelings for her. But how certain could either one of them actually be of that? When it came to romantic _anything_, Natsu was considerably vacant. At least that was how it seemed, even to someone as close to Natsu as she was.

But that innocence and sincerity would continuously draw her in, pulling her back the moment she attempted to stray too far.

He only had kind words for and of her. He was naturally rough but when it came to her, he offered a special tenderness reserved for only her. He went out of his way for her safety and for her happiness. He brought her to a new home with a new family full of new adventures. And his fire was always there with her, lighting her life in a way she had never known but always craved and will eternally cherish.

When she thought she had lost forever, she could feel her entire universe begin to disintegrate when it had lost the light that was Natsu.

And she knew that she was aware of this all along: that her own doubts and her own timidity were really all it took to hold her back, to suffocate her in her fears of complete abandonment and isolation.

But no matter the cost and no matter the fight, Natsu would never allow Lucy to be or feel alone ever again. He had showed that to her every chance he got. Even after being afflicted with a curse that no human had ever survived he still came back to her.

In that moment, she truly realized how much of a fool she was. Natsu was not the only one to avoid romance in this. She was just as guilty as he was. Scratch that, she was _more_ guilty than him.

She removed herself from the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping it tightly around her.

She was not sure how and she did not know when exactly, but, dammit, she would figure out just how to tell Natsu. She would have to choose the perfect outfit and the perfect spot. Perhaps where they go fishing? They spent a lot of good times there. Have a moonlit picnic together and she would just let the words flow when they were there. No planning, just doing. Just like Natsu always did.

Lucy walked out of her bathroom, teeming with a copious assurance.

And when she was met with the one man she had been planning on confessing to, to very potentially change their lives with, she was flabbergasted. At first she thought it was an incredibly vivid daydream, trying to grant her courage or scare her away.

It took just a second to realize he was actually there after, once again, breaking into her apartment. At being caught so far off guard, being stared at so intently and suddenly being very aware of her mostly nude state, she bristled, heat flaring up her neck to her face. She held her towel tightly in place, painfully alert of her exposed skin.

Just _what_ were the odds?

She spoke her words through clenched teeth. "How many times have I told you not to come here unannounced?"

* * *

><p>It did not take Lisanna long to reach the guild from Natsu's home. She found her sister at the bar, engaged in a noticeably secret conversation with Levy. She meandered over, already certain of what they were chatting about. It was never hard to figure out when it came to her sister.<p>

She smiled and sat down on the bar stool next to Levy. "What are you guys talking about?" She asked simply, entirely aware but trying to be polite before imposing.

The pair jumped, startled. "Lisanna!" They yelped in unison, appearing like cornered mice.

She just laughed. "Natsu and Lucy, right?"

Levy blushed, ashamed of their transparency. But Mira had a mischievous gleam in her eye, one Lisanna instantly recognized. It was her "Busybody Up to No Good" look. She was far too familiar with it and she was not sure whether or not she should be worried about or embarrassed of her meddling older sister. At the very least, she always meant well.

"Apparently Lucy confessed to Levy that she likes Natsu." Mira said, barely able to keep her excitement controlled. Levy nodded triumphantly, eyes closed and arms crossed. They were both quite proud at this information.

"Did either of you really _need_ a confession? It has been agonizingly obvious for so long." She laughed at the sudden descent of their expressions. She was not trying to rain on their parade but everyone knew about them except them. Well, at least Natsu. Lucy was always somewhat aware – just reluctant to accept it, it seemed.

"Well, either way, now we have irrefutable proof. Plus, based on what she has told me, Natsu seems to have quite the thing for Lucy. He just doesn't really understand it."

Lisanna nodded at Levy's words. "I guess you two shouldn't worry too much about that. I actually just got back from talking with him."

"What?" They shouted simultaneously.

She was quickly bombarded with questions in quick succession: "what did you say," "what did he say," "did he actually outright say it," "how did he respond," "did he seem okay with it?"

Question after question came at her, leaving her no time to answer. They were garnering attention from the other patrons with their outburst. A small, familiar group formed around them.

"What's going on over here?" Erza suddenly asked, stopping the driveling girls.

They looked towards the requip mage, standing firmly and imposingly before them. He face was severe, demanding answers for their abrupt eruption and encroachment on her cake time.

"Yeah, you were making a tone of noise over here. What's the deal?" Gray crossed his arms over his chest, Juvia latched firmly to one and Wendy standing quietly next to them, a curious look on her face.

Gajeel mutely took a seat at the vacant spot next to Levy, his elbows on the counter and leaning against the back of the bar. Three exceeds stood amongst the group of people. Finally he said, "Heard a mention of Salamander and Bunny Girl."

Suddenly Lisanna felt immoral and thrilled at the same time, finally understanding why her older sister loved to keep up on and offer only the juiciest of gossip. Everyone wanted in on it and she wanted everyone to be. Was it horrible to feel this way? To be giddy to spread gossip about her friends?

In the end, all of them wanted each other to be happy.

Perhaps it would be best to keep her mouth shut and let the professionals handle it.

"Lucy confessed her feelings for Natsu and now Natsu may realize his feelings for Lucy and he's heading to her right now." Lisanna quickly covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide.

They all stared at the white haired girl in shock. Whether it was because her divulged information or her rash action, she was unaware.

Mira, however, kept her smile set firm on her face. "Apparently it runs in the family." She giggled.

"I can't believe I just did that." She buried her face in her hands. How tactless of her.

"Please, this is hardly gossip anymore." Gray waved her off with his free arm.

Gajeel snorted. "Yeah, plenty people here have wagered on them gettin' together eventually. Show her, raise your hand if you're bettin' on them."

All hands went up immediately, with the exception on Wendy. But just a couple seconds delay and she, with a sheepish smile, raised a tentative hand. "They just get along so well."

"Juvia thinks that Love Rival and Natsu-san would be a very lovely couple."

The entire group nodded.

"See, nothin' wrong with it. It's about time it happened already anyhow." The iron dragon slayer shrugged nonchalantly.

Lisanna could do nothing but laugh at the entirety of the situation. Of course no one meant anything harmful by any of it. She wiped at the happy tears in her eyes and cleared her throat politely. She never did finish what she was saying and she figured it wise to not get anyone's hopes up. Natsu did take off but who was she to say where he was going and what he was going to do when he got there. It was only sensible to consider potential, alternative outcomes.

With their chatter quelled and attention focused, she began. "Yes, I spoke to Natsu. I won't go into detail but I just guided him in realizing just what Lucy is to him. I didn't need to manipulate him or even say anything for him; I just pointed him in the right direction. I'm not going to say he's definitely going to say anything to her or even that that's where he is going. We all know how Natsu is." She paused, smiling softly with a rueful happiness. "But if he is actually aware and willing to admit it, then they'll both be much happier."

"Lucy is too shy and too reluctant because she's scared. But Natsu…" Levy trailed off, searching for the right words.

"Natsu is Natsu." Mirajane stated simply. "He'll come right out and say it. Maybe he will be nervous and maybe he won't really say the right thing, but he'll say it."

"I've never met two more oblivious people in my life." Charle said with a smirk.

"Aye, but that's why they're perfect for each other!" The blue cat yelled, stimulating small, quick conversations amongst the group about the soon-to-be couple.

Mirajane giggled, her hand cupping her cheek. A smile spread over her face. "Did you ever imagine it would be Natsu who takes the first step?"

Everyone smiled and chuckled at the outrageous notion.

No, they certainly did not.

* * *

><p>If he were being honest with himself then he would say he had no idea why he was running to her. He just felt the impulse, the urge and he acted thoughtlessly on it. That was typically how it went for him – acting without thinking. He had always been more inclined to trust his gut over his head. It had not let him down this far. Why should he believe it would fail him now?<p>

And so he ran.

His feet moved to the pounding in his chest and a thick knot had roped his stomach in. He weaved through the crowded streets, practically leaping over the passersby and vaulting over canals and market vendors. He refused to stop for anyone or anything. This was of the utmost importance. _She_ was.

Turning onto Strawberry Street, he found exactly where he wanted to be and the lingering scent of lavender and honeysuckles in the air alerted him to her presence. Already disposed to the force of habit, he leapt up to the open window and invited himself in, completely unannounced, just as he always had.

So it should not be any surprise to Natsu that Lucy stood there completely red faced, ready to hurl an unrelenting flurry of reprimands in his direction with an anger contained only by the too small towel she firmly clutched to her chest.

And yet he had no clue as to why she was so upset.

"How many times have I told you not to come here unannounced?" The words were ground out through a tightly locked jaw.

He thought on it briefly, dismissive of the subject. "You expected me to keep track?"

Her fingertips were on her forehead and her weight shifted to one leg as she quietly grumbled to herself – the telltale "Lucy is annoyed" posture.

She relinquished her tension though the red still stained her cheeks. From anger or embarrassment, he was not too certain at this point. She turned from him with a huff as she declared she was going to put on some clothes. Minutes later, she emerged from her bathroom clothed and toweling at her still wet hair.

"What exactly are you doing here, Natsu?" Exasperation.

And there was that question that he really did not want to hear, the one he truly did not have an actual answer for. He did not know. All he knew was that he needed to see her.

And that is just what he told her.

"I'm not really sure. I just had to see you."

She reeled, slight but noticeably, at his answer. Her face softened and her blush brightened. "You don't know?"

He could feel his confidence waning, something he rare experienced. It was his turn to blush. "Well, no. I know. But I also don't know. Y'know?" He stammered helplessly, face scrunched with a frustrated perplexity. He could feel her, standing right in front of him, observing him with a muted fascination. What a pitiful sight he must be to behold at this moment. All that big talk he had always doled out was now nothing but a humbled murmur. And he was incredibly apprehensive.

Her palms cradled his cheeks, the contrasting chill of her hands captivating his attention. The gentleness from her that he was so familiar with, yet seldom felt, greeted him, halting his anxiety. And just like that, he felt okay. A soothing warmth radiated in his chest, stirring to life as he became wholly fixated on her.

He relaxed into her hold, his eyes falling shut. He breathed her in, taking in the air around her.

God, how much he loved her scent. It drove him wild and pacified him all the same. He never quite understood how or why. What a truly intoxicating creature she was.

All he knew in this moment that if he could stay with her as they were now then he would forever. Was he here for a reason? What was it again? At the moment he did not care, all he wanted was to continue feeling her warmth and inhaling her scent, losing himself in the lingering sensation that was purely Lucy.

"Natsu, what is going on with you?" She whispered, concern intertwined with her words.

He opened his eyes, looking urgently into hers, searching for an answer that he was incapable of finding. Every thought he could have possibly had was just out of reach, fluttering away like butterflies on a spring breeze.

Like hell he knew what was wrong.

He was hot and cold at the same time. His heart was palpitating, his throat constricting, his lungs seemed to shrink. God, he was nervous and he could not fathom why.

"Did you remember something?" Her eyes looked hopeful, almost as if she had been expecting him to show up like this, blithering like an idiot and claiming he had answers that he did and did not at the same time.

What had she been anticipating him to remember? The moment he looked at her he forgot everything – he forgot to breathe half the time when was with her. He was certain all these questions would be lost on him in a matter of seconds taking into consideration the rate that his mind was moving at.

"I realized something." His voice was quiet, not rising above a whisper, fearful that he would send her delicate touch floating away with the rest of his thoughts.

He held her shoulders, to steady himself and to find his lost confidence in her proximity. He was nervous and his mind refused to function. He took a deep breath, attempting to articulate _anything_ that could make it from his brain to his mouth.

Lucy's focus centered on him. Her heart waltzed, dancing to the rhythm of her thoughts.

His face was serious, his eyes hard as he stared her down in a hope to find the answers in her which he so desperately needed. He looked older, more mature, and Lucy was completely enraptured by this side of him that was rare to see. The firm line of his clenched jaw was easy to discern. She followed it to his lips.

They were pursed, evidence to the silent conflict he was noticeably in. She observed in a trance as he opened them to speak, showing off the sharp tips of his fangs, only to close them again. He ran his tongue over them, moistening his thin lips as he stood there awkwardly at a loss for words.

Natsu Dragneel, the incorrigible hyperactive, was hopelessly stumped into silence.

"Lucy?" His whisper pulled her eyes to his. He was hesitating.

She begged silently, her dark eyes reassuring him.

It gave him the confidence he was in desperate need of but his nerves did not halt. He was terrified as he lowered his head slowly, his face centimeters from hers when he stopped his descent.

Their eyes were closed, their breath intertwined. It was such a familiar sensation to him. His heart was erratic in his chest, ready to burst free of its cage in his chest. Could she hear his heart right now? Could she tell that he was completely anxious collection of nerves?

"Natsu, please." Her voice was pleading with him, so low that he would have missed it if it were not for his enhanced hearing. And he thanked the gods that he did because it was what he needed to hear.

Burying his hesitation and his fears, he closed the short distance between them, his lips capturing her own.

It was shy and innocent as they acclimated to the new sensation, gauging the other's reaction.

Natsu could not believe how soft and warm her lips were. He never imagined that she would _feel_ this good. That she could make _him_ feel this good simply by kissing him. His chest swelled with pleasure, savoring the delicate taste that was purely Lucy – _his _Lucy.

She melted into their kiss, his pleasant heat a welcomed sensation. His lips were surprisingly soft, just moist enough that her own could glide across the surface. It felt so good, _he_ felt so good. She needed more of him and she would let him know that.

She moaned, the sound coming from deep in her throat. She would have been embarrassed had it not given her exactly what she wanted.

Natsu wrapped an arm around her waist, a hand weaving into her loose tresses. Acting on instinct alone, desperate to get as close to her as he could, he pulled her flush against his body and slanted his mouth over hers, deepening their kiss.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, welcoming his tongue, her own mingling with his as their desire took control.

The closer they got, the deeper they kissed, the further they let their yearning take them, they could feel an emptiness filling in their chest, as if they were the pieces of themselves they had been missing.

The kiss became more fervent, only breaking for brief moments to take in air. Natsu maneuvered her towards her bed, their brief travel clumsy as they refused to separate from each other.

The pleasure she was feeling was making her thoughts hard to process, as if they were clouds and anytime she tried to grasp one, her fingers would phase right through. She was only able to perceive the bliss he granted her with his lips. Such a simple act and she was drowning in him. She had been desperate for his touch for so long and now that she had it, she would not dare to relinquish it or him for anything.

She loved this knucklehead too much to lose him ever again, even for the briefest of moments.

He lowered her gently onto her bed, kissing his way down her neck. It felt so natural to kiss her. He did not want to stop. Her taste, her sounds, her scent, all of it was urging him forward, his carnality hindering coherent thoughts. He was making her feel like this and god, did he love what he was doing to her. If he would keep feeling this way, he would never stop kissing her. She moaned as he ran his tongue along her clavicle. If she would keep making those wonderful noises, he would never stop kissing her.

He loved this weirdo too much to ever let her go, even for a millisecond.

He was nestled between her spread legs. Her hands were roaming over his chest and his back and she was moaning from his ministrations. He growled at the welcome exploration, wanting to see and feel more of her as well.

She really was such a pervert. No surprises there.

Lucy began to yank his jacket off and he obliged her, discarding the useless garment. He pulled her tank top off her, kissing greedily at the further exposure of her cleavage while tossing the unwanted barrier towards his jacket. He rubbed his hand up her outer thigh, squeezing the tender flesh hungrily. She mewled at the feeling.

If they did not stop now, it would be something they would both regret.

He detached himself from her breasts, kissing her gently on the lips and resting his perspiring forehead against hers. They both fought to catch their breath. He could feel her looking at him. And sensing her frustration and disappointment was not a difficult task in the slightest. "Luce, if we go any further I won't be able to stop myself."

He opened his eyes and saw the realization in hers. She almost gave into her lust, they both did. And Lucy was ready to renounce her inhibitions just like that. Suddenly she felt ashamed of herself. She wrapped her arms over her lightly covered chest, thankful for the lace bra that helped to retain some of her modesty.

"You don't need to be embarrassed." He whispered to her reassuringly, pressing quick, chaste kisses to her lips. "I'm sorry this took so long." Her eyes widened in surprise at the sudden change in his demeanor. "That's why you've been acting so weird for so long." She grimaced, ready to retort but he kissed her again and she quieted, an adorable frown on her face. "I suppose this is also why it's been bothering me so much." He smiled into the delicate kiss. This felt so right to him. "How you're able to put up with such a bonehead is beyond me."

"You're completely tolerable." Lucy giggled into the kiss.

* * *

><p><em>Note:<em> At long last! I was intending to push it off for longer but I really didn't want to anymore! Also, I was _not_ intending it to be as…hot as it turned out. But I really wanted to capture just how much these two wanted and needed and loved the other. And what better way to exhibit that than a really hot, really desperate make out session? I mean, we all know their first kiss won't turn out like that but man, oh, man, if it did? Better bring a bucket of cold water for THAT chapter, am I right?

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed it! Don't forget to drop a review if you did. They really keep me going!


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